


Pokémon Eclipse Saga: Season 1 - School Days Arc

by ArtGuruSauce



Series: Pokémon Eclipse Saga [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Antagonist Of The Week, Gen, Humor, Light-Hearted, Original Character(s), Romantic Fluff, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-07-25 17:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20029543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtGuruSauce/pseuds/ArtGuruSauce
Summary: Alola, the tropical islands famous to any tourist as the perfect vacation spot. It is here where a young, clutzy, and rather inexperienced Trainer begins her Pokémon journey. She has grown up her whole life almost never encountering or owning a Pokémon before, but has miraculous ability in communicating and resonating with them. She enrolls in a school to learn how to battle with Pokémon, where she meets a group of new friends that help her learn all sorts of things about not only Pokémon, but people, too.





	1. Episode 1 - Alola, A Shaky Arrival!

**Author's Note:**

> Presenting my magnum opus, I hope you guys all like it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young girl arrives in the lustrous, tropical region of Alola. However, she gets turned all around and upside down really quick, as it seems there's been a total mix-up with her move. Luckily for her, she meets a rather generous boy who decides to help her out.

The hopelessly clumsy girl stumbled off of the deboarding ship, and onto the dry land of the wooden docks. She cried out in surprise, almost falling flat on her face in the process. She managed to keep herself on her feet, however, and straightened her posture as quickly as possible. She giggled to herself, “Whoopsies! I gotta learn to be more careful!” Countless eyes stared in confusion and skepticism as she waved her hand around seemingly aimlessly. Finally, she grasped onto a handle, one she _thought _ belonged to _her_.

“Ah! There you are!” She declared, as she attempted to tug along her luggage. However, she found she was just pulled back, as if it was attached to something heavy and immobile. A voice filled her ear clearly, “Hey! Wh-what’re you doing?!” She blinked, and squinted her eyes at the person in front of her, “O-Oh! I’m sorry, did I grab _your _bag? I’m in a bit of a hurry!” She couldn’t read this person’s expression, but their voice gave off a calmer stance than before, “O-Oh...I understand.”

They fell silent for a moment, before speaking up once again in her direction, holding out a large object to her, “Is..._this _your bag?” She gently took it from them, running her hands along it as if using her fingers to determine it’s structure. She gave a smile, and nodded, “Yup yup! This is mine! Thanks, stranger!” She turned, and skipped away, ignoring the flabbergasted and confused cries of the person that had just helped her. Now that she was by herself as she skipped along towards her destination, she took notice of her surroundings. 

It was certainly bright and colorful, she could tell that much. Bright greens and yellows and reds were everywhere, and were it not for the tropical climate she had heard about, she’d have associated it with Christmas. She kept prancing along, eventually making it to a strangely blocky looking area. “Ooooo...this place is a little less colorful than before. I’ll bet this is the city!” She put a finger to her cheek in thought, “Hmm...now where to find the housing district…” 

As she continued down the road, her impairment made her fail to notice a Pokémon on the ground in front of her. Inevitably, she tripped over it, and this time she couldn’t stop herself from spiraling towards the ground. Thankfully, her fall was broken by yet another stranger, to whom she latched onto to prevent herself from becoming injured. Immediately, as most voices she tended to hear around her, they expressed annoyance, “Ah! H-Hey, watch it!” It was a male voice, and it was rather gruff and sharp.

She looked over the stranger, and took note of all the black she saw. _ What a strange color for such a warm climate _ she thought. She stepped back, and released her grip on him, “S-Sorry sir! That was my bad!” She couldn’t see his face, like most people, but somehow she could feel him rolling his eyes, “You can say _ that _ again…” She giggled in response, squinting her eyes at him to try and get a better look at him. Of course, this didn’t do much, “Yeah, I’m just _ really _clumsy is all! Don’t take it personally!”

Just like the previous stranger, he fell silent for a short moment. She wondered if there was something on her face today, and then he spoke, “Are you...alright?” A strange question. Did she injure herself and not notice? “Yup yup! Why do you ask?” While it was hard to see, through her squinting eyes she could see him move a part of his body back and forth. She tried to follow it to the best of her ability, but sadly, she just couldn’t keep track of it accurately enough. “Can...you...not see?” the stranger asked, sounding worried now.

“Whaaaaaat? Noooo! I can see! Everything just looks reeeaaalllllly fuzzy!” She admitted, bluntly. She knew he had already noticed her impairment, so lying was useless. She could feel her glasses slip off of her face, and she noticed a slight movement from the stranger as he spoke, “Then what’re you wearing _ these _for?” A metaphorical light bulb went off in her head, and her head lifted in recognition, “Oh! They’re a really old prescription! But my mom didn’t have any time to take me out and get new ones!” 

The stranger wasn’t quiet for too long, perhaps he had missed that last detail. “Hmmm...come with me. I know someone that can make you a new pair.” Her hand was grasped by another, warmer hand. The sudden contact cleared up her earlier suspicion that this stranger’s choice of clothing may have made him _ too _warm. He tugged her along, and she followed obediently, not much of one to complain, “Ok!” It was silent for the first minute of their journey, before the stranger broke the silence between them with casual conversation.

“I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before. Are you new here?”

“Yup yup! I just moved in from Kalos! I was on my way to my new house, actually!”

“Well it’s a good thing I caught you when I did. Otherwise you may have gotten lost in the tall grass.”

“You guys have that here too?”  
  
“You don’t get out much...do you?”  
  
She shook her head, still grinning, “Nope nope!”

They finally stopped, and she noted the bland coloring. She heard the familiar beeping of a phone close by, and she heard the stranger speaking again. However, this time, it didn’t seem to be directed to her, “Hello? Yes, it’s me. I need you to send a ship. I’m heading back earlier than expected. Yes, I know. Alright, thanks.” She heard another beep, and stared as the stranger moved again. Perhaps he had put his phone away into a pocket? “Will you be ok if I leave you here for a few minutes?” She nodded, “Yup yup! I’ll stay as still as a Sudowoodo!”

The stranger didn’t respond to this, and instead released her hand and slowly faded off into the mess of colors that surrounded her. Her thoughts wandered to a plethora of things. About the stranger, about her new home, about how she was going to get new glasses after all these years. A part of her knew she’d miss being able to look at the world the way she did now. It wasn’t the most optimal way to live, but it was certainly entertaining and interesting. She could imagine the world around her as something far more than boring everyday life.

She could see a blob of greens and oranges walking around and imagine it being a rare Pokémon, rather than what it actually was; a tourist with poor fashion sense. It was good to have an imagination like hers, it only helped her to ignore all the negatives of life. After a minute or so, she bobbed her head and hummed the tune of an old children’s cartoon from her childhood. Imagining the fuzzy imagery before her as an episode of the show itself was an easy task. A shame she would soon never be able to enjoy this creativity again in just a short while.

A familiar voice approached her, signaling the stranger’s return, “Our ride is here.” Once again, a warm hand gripped her own, and she couldn’t help but widen her smile. Something about the contact was invigorating, but for some reason, she couldn’t place it. “Come on, let’s go,” he beckoned. She nodded and followed the stranger blindly. Quickly, she would come to the conclusion that she was on yet _ another _ship. And like her last voyage, would spend the whole time screwing around by the edge of the rails, despite the stranger’s worried chides.

* * *

The surrounding area as soon as they arrived had been nothing but pure white. It was impossible to see at all, if not for the people surrounding her, she’d have assumed she had suddenly gone completely blind. The stranger tugged her along far more carefully, he probably concluded that with her poor vision she wouldn’t be able to detect much movement. Regardless, she sparkled with joy, “Wooaahh, lots of white here. Is this a doctor's office? Oh! Or maybe it's a _ suuuuper _swanky business!”

At this point, the stranger’s only responses were warnings to be careful or checking in on her well-being. Anything else she said was ignored and shrugged off. A response that she was used to from plenty of other people. Eventually, they stopped, and she saw the stranger move again, “Hey, you. I need your assistance.” It was hard to tell at first, but eventually the girl could make out someone else approaching them, one of many people dressed in white. That, or, as she imagined, he was just a floating head. The thought made her giggle.

“Yes, sir?”

She caught onto this. Was this person talking to the stranger that had been helping her? Perhaps he was an official person, like a doctor. No, that couldn’t be right...doctors always wore white. Maybe he was a _ special _doctor. His hand left hers again, “Here, I need you to give this girl an eye exam and give her an updated prescription. I’ll pay for any expenses.” 

“Oh, is that all? Sure thing, sir. Right this way, miss,” the man in white said. She stumbled forward, and grasped for his hand. She ended up, by dumb luck, being able to grab his coat. She gave a friendly smile, “Lead the way, sir~!” She could feel the man staring at her. “Er...is...she blind?” Once again, the girl tried to follow the movements of what she presumed to be the man’s hand. And once again, she failed to follow it accurately. The stranger spoke up again behind them, “She may as well be. Just...fix those, will you?”

“Of course, sir. Right this way, madam,” the man invited. The address made her giddy, “Ooo~! Madam! This must be a real fancy place~!” Like many people that were in her presence for much more than a minute, the man found himself perturbed by her. She could tell from his voice as they walked along, “Y-Yes...you _ could _say so.” The white surroundings didn’t change no matter how far they journeyed, until they finally stopped, that is. A suddenly dark color slowly revealed itself before her, but she didn’t release her grip on the man.

They stepped inside, and once again she was rendered almost totally blind. The only difference now was that it was too dark to see _ anything_. The man grabbed at her shoulders, and shoved her downwards into a chair below her. She sat still, blinking and squinting in constant in an attempt to make out _ something _in this room. The man’s voice filled her ear as she felt cold hands move her face forward onto some sort of pedestal, “Don’t be nervous, this is just a standard test. I’m sure it’s been a while, but I just need you to look into the red dot.”

“Ooohhhh! I’ve done one of these before! Oki doki!”

* * *

She sat patiently, her blindness relegated back to the pure white once again. She swung her legs over the side of the chair, bobbing her head once again to her own humming. It was quiet, save for the buzzing of the air vent above her on the wall. Then the sound of footsteps slowly filled the air around her until they came to a halt a few inches away from her. She peered up, and squinted to get a better look at the person who had approached her.

“Here we are, Miss.”

It was the man from before. Luna stood up and kept still for him, as he slowly placed the lenses over her eyes. For the first time in forever, the world was crystal clear. While her surroundings were still white, finally should could make out the walls and floors. And she could finally see the man in front of her, a doctor. No, wait, a scientist perhaps? He was wearing a long white lab coat, and while there was nothing particularly special about his features, he had a kind face.

Her irises grew as thoughts swirled in her head. For the first time since her arrival, she was completely quiet and still. Almost like a Deerling in headlights. At first the man feared she may have been overwhelmed. “Erm...are you...alright, madam?” Slowly, her lips stretched across her face in a grin that challenged the ones she had worn before, and he could’ve sworn he saw stars sparkle within her pupils.

“THE WORLD LOOKS SO _ BEAUTIFUL_!!!” she declared with the sort of childlike innocence you’d expect to see from a toddler. At first, the man smiled, than a thought occurred to him that drew beads of sweat to his face in anxiety, “H-How long has it been since you’ve been able to see, anyways? You...said it was an old prescription?” The girl stared off in thought, her index finger resting gently on her chin as she struggled to recall the last time she was able to see more than fuzzy after-images of the world around her.

“Hmmmm...four years~!” she finally declared, both with confidence and an incredibly inappropriate smile to contradict her statement. The man’s eyes involuntarily bulged from his head in surprise at the answer, “_FOUR _ YEARS?!” She tapped her chin in thought again, and frowned, “Hmmmmm...I _ think _so. My memory’s no good.” She pouted, the first unpleasant expression she had worn the entire day. The man decided to change the subject.

“W-Well...do you need a ride home, young lady? I’m afraid nobody told me where you came from.” Her usual smile returned to her face, and she turned to look at the man once again, “Oh! I just moved here! But I'm supposed to be on Melemele to meet with my landlord!” The man internally sighed in relief that she at least knew where to go, “I'll arrange a ride for you, then. Follow me.” She skipped along behind the man, ignoring her impulse to grab his coat from habit.

* * *

Hau loved to take walks, it was a habit he picked up from his grandfather. He found it to be refreshing, and his grandfather always said walking was good for your figure. Beside him, his Raichu surfed along atop it’s tail. He stretched out his arms, and breathed in the Alola air, “Aaahhh! Such a beautiful day! Maybe I should head up to Mount Lanakila and give Moon a visit.” He turned to look at his Pokémon as he continued, “What do you think, buddy?”

“Rai!” The Pokémon cried out as it shook it’s head in disapproval. Hau’s smile faded into a quizzical frown as he blinked at his companion in curiosity, “Oh? Then what _ should _we do today?” The Raichu gave an estranged look, as if carefully considering it’s answer. Suddenly, he hopped onto Hau’s shoulder, and began mimicking what appeared to be a sloppy eating motion with his paws, “Rai rai rai!”

Hau recognized this motion as an imitation of the way he ate a certain Alola pastry, “Malasadas, huh? I can get behind that!” His companion nodded to confirm his guess, and Hau briefly stopped to pull his wallet from his backpack. “Let's see…” he whispered, shaking his open wallet above the palm of his hand to shake loose any money inside. To his disappointment and frustration, only a single Pokéuro coin fell from the wallet into his hand.

“Oh…” he grumbled in defeat. The Raichu’s ears folded back in sadness as it grumbled it’s grievances to itself quietly. For a long moment the two stared hopelessly at the coin, before Hau suddenly beamed and his smile returned to his face, “Oh! I know! Maybe tutu has som-”

“For the last time, ma'am, I don't know what you're talking about!”

“...Huh?” Hau pondered aloud. The voice was loud and clear, and he turned around to spot it’s source behind him. The sight that befell him was truly something strange. It was a woman he recognized as the head of the housing committee for Iki Town, he had met her once before when he was far younger. And in front of her stood a girl that looked to be about his age, with bright blonde hair that curled and puffed like a Whimsicott’s mane.

A single strand of purple hung from her bangs, and she wore large black glasses over her lime-colored eyes. While her glasses hid them well, he noticed freckles on her face. But the strangest thing about her was her clothing. It certainly didn’t _ look _like any Alola attire he had ever seen. A cropped blue hoodie, a baby blue and white striped skirt, a matching blue cap, a tasseled purple purse, and some rather worn out brown boots.

“C'mon, _ sure _you do! My mother told me you'd have a home ready! Unless I showed up too early...isn't it Saturday?” the girl inquired, putting a finger on her chin in thought as she stared up at nothing. The woman before her sighed in frustration, “Yes, but for the last time, we do not have any homes for rent!” This statement caused Hau’s brow to raise. Now he was most definitely interested.

Despite hearing what most would consider some unfavorable news, the strange girl smiled playfully, “Hmmm...are you suuuuuure?” The woman groaned, “_Y__es_…!” Hau could’ve gone about his day. He could’ve walked away from the two and gone back to his grandfather’s house to ask for food money. After all, perhaps this girl had simply made a mistake and was just unwilling to admit it.

But he did none of these things. Instead, his naive, kind heart pushed him to step forward and join the conversation, “Um...i-is everything alright here?” The woman looked up at him, and recognition flashed in her eyes. She sighed, and pushed her glasses against her nose, “Good day, Hau. Everything is just fine. I was just explaining to this young woman she was mistaken about our housing situation here.”

Hau raised a brow once again, “You don't have a place for rent? Not _ one_?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“But...doesn't that mean she's homeless?”

“That's ok! I'm sure I can find a nice palm tree to sleep under! This region is so beautiful and cozy!” the girl suddenly chirped cheerfully. Sweat drew to Hau’s face in pure disbelief and surprise. _ She sounds a little _ ** _too _ ** _ happy about this... _ he thought. The woman spoke up again, “There's not much I can do, I'm afraid. I don't know who miscommunicated what, but I can't just _ give _ her a home. Not even if I _ had _one.”

Hau peered over the woman to get a good look at the girl in question. He offered a friendly smile and waved, “What's your name? I'm Hau.” The girl beamed at the question, and waved back, “Luna! Luna Freya! Pleasure to meet ya, mister!” Hau nodded at her, “Hey, if you don't have anywhere to stay, I'm sure my grandpa wouldn't mind letting you crash if you don't have anywhere else to go!”

Luna gazed at him curiously, and blinked, “Really? _You _ have a house for me?” The question threw Hau off, until he realized she didn’t quite understood what he meant by his offer. “Er...that's not...quite what I meant,” he clarified. She continued to stare, and blinked a few more times as if she still didn’t get the message. He decided to try a different route, “Just...do you wanna come stay with me? Until you _ do _get your own place?” He smiled nervously.

She stared again for a few seconds, and at first he feared he would never be able to get his offer across to her. But she smiled again and nodded in approval, “Mmhm!” The woman, sharing in Hau’s struggle, sighed in relief _ for _him. Hau beamed, “Perfect! Follow me, it's just up this trail.” He turned and began walking back the way he had come from. Luna followed after him, prancing along majestically like a Deerling, “Oki doki!” 

Hau turned and waved goodbye to the business woman, and she returned the gesture with a crooked smile on her face. While he didn’t hear her, she whispered to herself, “Good luck, kid...you're going to need it…”

* * *

The two stepped inside the humble little house that Luna couldn’t help but compare mentally to a bungalow. As soon as Hau entered, he greeted the seemingly empty room, “Tutu! I’m hooome!” Nobody was in sight, but an older and gruffy voice answered his call.

“Well that was quick. You just left,” They stated, bluntly.

Hau rubbed the back of his neck nervously, forcing a smile to hide his embarrassment, “Well you could say I ran into a couple problems…” Not two seconds later, out stepped the aforementioned “Tutu”. He was a big man, and his white hair much resembled Hau’s. The first thing Luna noticed about his clothing was his long, silk, yellow shawl with white patterns that resembled paddle fans scattered across it.

She also noticed, just like Hau, he wore shorts and sandals, and across his gut he had a paper fan tied to his waist by what Luna guessed was some sort of jacket. But her eyes wandered back up to his face, and locked on the man’s strange looking mustache. At least, _ most _ would call it strange. _ Luna_, however…

“Like wha-” The man stopped, immediately spotting Luna as he stepped out of one of the rooms surrounding the foyer. “Oh, hello there. I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before.” For yet another time today, Luna repeated her new favorite introduction, “I just moved here from Kalos! My name is Luna!” Her pupils sparkled with stars as she continued, “And your mustache is amazing!” The two boys chuckled at her random comment.

_ How do those two things relate? _ Hau thought, his chuckle having a bit more nerve in it than the older man’s. “Well, aren't _ you _ just full of energy? Come, sit,” the man offered, sitting on one of the sofas in the middle of the room. Luna and Hau obliged, sitting on a sofa across from him, the only thing separating them being a low coffee table. The old man sat up suddenly, “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Hala.” She smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, sir!”

She stretched her arms out, “This region is so beautiful! I'm so glad my mother sent me here!” The declaration drew Hau’s earlier curiosity back to the surface, “Speaking of which...I've been meaning to ask; what was that misunderstanding back there about?” Luna’s eyes popped in realization that she hadn’t yet explained herself, “Oh! My mother sent me from Kalos, and it was a looooong trip. So maybe I'm too early. But she said that I should go see the landlord of Melemele first thing so they could get me settled in!”

She frowned, a sour expression Hau thought was impossible for her to muster up till this point. “But that lady was saying she didn't have any houses for me, _period_!” Hala’s brows twitched in pity for the girl, “Is that so? Well that's just terrible. It's unfortunate you got wrapped up in such a huge misunderstanding.” Hau frowned as well, some sweat drawing to his face once again. “Th-That's kinda why I brought her here, tutu…”

Hala raised a brow at Hau, an invitation to elaborate. “Is uh...it alright if she stays here? A-At least until she finds a place she can stay?” he stuttered. He knew he was asking quite a bit. Normally, Hala put up with quite a bit of Hau’s begging or outlandish favors. But this was _ quite _the outlandish favor. “Hmmm…” Hala rubbed his chin in thought at the question. This only served to make Hau antsy.

“Pleeeaaassse, tutu? We can't just leave her in the wilderness. She doesn’t even have a Pokémon!” As soon as the statement left his mouth, he realized something, “Er...or...wait…” He turned to look at the girl beside him before he continued, “_Do_ you have any Pokémon?” Once again, her eyes sparkled, “POKÉMON?! Oh I _ wish_! They're the _ cutest_, most _ coolest _ creatures in the _ world_! I've always wanted one but mother said they make _ waaayyy _ too big a mess! Even when I went to run errands, seeing a Pokémon was a real rarity in my town!”

This seemed to peak Hala’s curiosity, “Is that so?” 

Luna nodded, “Yup yup!”

“And how old are you, young lady?”

“I will be 13 in just seven more months, sir!”

“...Alright Hau, she may stay here. On _ one _ condition…” Hala finally caved.

Hau was grateful that he was considering it, but he raised a brow in confusion. He had never been asked for conditions before, “What's that, tutu?” 

“I want you to take her to the Professor and have her enrolled in his school.”

“The Professor's school?”

“Yes. I'm sure Kukui can fit one more whippersnapper into his class this year.”

Hau smiled, and nodded, “A-Alright, sure.”

“And be sure to bring her back here when you're done. I have a surprise for her,” Hala declared as he stood up. Luna’s grin widened, if that were even possible, “Surprise? Ohhhh! I love surprises! What is it~? What is it~?!” She shifted excitedly and impatiently in her seat, and Hala couldn’t help but chuckle, “Patience is a virtue, young lady. Go on, I'll catch up with you two later.”

Hau stood up, “Y-Yeah. Sure thing tutu.” He turned to look at Luna, who was still seated and gazing up at him from her low point, “C'mon Luna, let's go meet the Professor.” Finally, she hopped onto her feet and put her hands behind her back as she did so. Her grin faded back into a simple smile, and she saluted with one hand before placing it back behind her back, “Oki doki!”

* * *

The small beach house was settled just inches away from the sea, and on the beach was a scatter of strange black blobs that had cotton tails and pink spikes jutting from their bodies. Luna was in awe, to say the very least, “Aaahhh...! Are those _ Pokémon_...?!” Hau raised a brow at the question. Despite knowing her reasons, he still could hardly believe just how little she knew of Pokémon. Then again, even if she _ did _, she certainly wouldn’t have recognized Alolan creatures.

“Oh those? Those are Pyukumuku. You can make a living off of chucking them into the sea, actually.” He smiled, “Hey I know! Why don't you earn money doing _ that_? It's super easy!” Luna frowned and blinked at the idea, “Awww but why would I wanna toss the poor things into the ocean?” Hau couldn’t help but chuckle, she was a typical tourist. “Trust me, it's good for them. If you want, you can go play with 'em while I go get the Professor. They're pretty harmless little critters anyways.”

“Awesome!” she cheered, sprinting directly towards the beach to explore the adorable new creature. Hau turned his back on her, the first time he had let her out of his sight since he met her, and knocked on the front door. “Professor? It's me, Hau,” he greeted. However, rather than a simple, “I’ll be right there!” or a “Coming!”, all Hau heard in return was a maelstrom of crashes, glass breaking, and of course the barking of a Rockruff.

He simply waited patiently, rolling his eyes as he thought, _ Ah...training again. Should’ve figured_. After a few minutes, the door swung open, and in the doorway stood the ever-smooth Kukui. Hau took notice of his hat being twisted to the side and some of his hair coming loose from his tight bun. Regardless, Hau liked the energy, and he himself had been caught up in the Professor’s strange training sessions. It was definitely fun, if nothing else.

“Hell-ooo there Hau! What can I do ya for today?” Kukui greeted, peppy as always. Hau smiled and waved, “Hey there Kukui. I'm here on a bit of an errand. There's someone my grand-dad would like you to enroll in your school if it's not too much trouble.” Kukui frowned and raised a brow at this, “Really? Well they must be somethin' if he thinks they should attend my school. Where are they?”

Hau simply stepped back and turned to look at Luna as he called out to her, “Hey! Luna!” The girl was standing by the ocean, in her arms she was cradling and snuggling a Pyukumuku that seemed to be enjoying the attention. The call caught her attention, and she looked up curiously. She waved, as she flashed the Professor a friendly smile, “Hi there~!” Hau returned the gesture, as did the Professor.

“Ah, I see...she sure looks peppy. Is she new here?” Kukui asked.

“Yeah, actually. She's going to stay with us since she doesn't have anywhere to go,” Hau admitted, turning his attention back to the Professor as he lowered his hand. “So is it alright if she enrolls a little late?”

“I don't see why not. Sure!”

“Nice! Thanks Professor!”

“Don't sweat it, Hau.”

Hau turned again, and waved farewell to the Professor, “I'll see you later, Kukui! I should head home now!” The Professor waved back silently as Hau turned his back to him and approached Luna. She was still snuggling the tiny Pokémon, but she noticed Hau’s presence quickly. “Good news! He said you can attend his school!” Hau announced. Luna beamed brightly at the news, “AWESOME~!” She turned her gaze back down to the Pyukumuku.

It chirped in amusement, and she couldn’t help but giggle as she pat it’s head, “I think this little guy is hungry.” Her eyes met Hau’s once more as she continued, “Say, do you have any Poképuffs?” At first Hau was going to ask what she was talking about, but then he remembered that he had read before about a delicacy both humans and Pokémon often partook in in the Kalos region. They were a lot like Pokébeans...except they were cupcakes.

“O-Oh, we don't have those here. But we do have _ these_-” he started before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a small satchel that was strung shut. He opened it, and poured a few beans into his palm to show her, “They're just as good and Pokémon _ love _these things.” Luna gently placed the Pyukumuku onto the sand before taking the beans from Hau and squatting down to the Pokémon. Carefully, she held one out, “Hey little guy, you want one?”

“Pyu…!” the Pyukumuku chirped excitedly. “Say ‘Aaahhh’,” she commanded politely. The white hole between its eyes unhinged as it imitated her words, “Pyuuuuu~!” Luna carefully popped the bean inside, and giggled in delight at it’s pleasure from the tasty treat. She repeated this process a few more times, before gently petting it and picking it back up. “Well...if you say chucking it is for the best…” she started, smiling down at the Pokémon lovingly.

“Ready for liftoff?” she asked. The Pyukumuku nodded, and she carefully gripped it in her right hand, craning her arm backwards as she focused on her target steadily; the ocean. With a quiet, “Hup!” she tossed the critter into the ocean, reveling in its cry of enjoyment before it plopped into the water, never to be seen again...at least until it crawled it’s way back to shore the next day as was expected of his kind. 

Hau beamed enthusiastically, “Woah! Nice throw! Are you an athlete?” Luna turned to look at him, shrugging as she tilted her head in silent curiosity at the question, “Nah, not really~!” He offered a friendly smile, “Man, you sure do love Pokémon. I think that Pyukumuku really liked you.” Luna seemed intrigued by this conclusion, “Ya think so?” She blinked curiously, a soft frown contrasting her child-like and elated eyes.

A part of Hau couldn’t help but pity the girl since he found out about her mix-up. He couldn’t imagine almost never seeing or interacting with Pokémon like this girl obviously hadn’t. Or if she had, it was very few in far between. And it only made him wonder what exactly made his grandfather think she’d make a good enough Trainer to attend Kukui’s school. After all...if she had never owned a Pokémon before, did she even know the basics?

Regardless, he decided to change the subject, “Well, let's head back to my tutu. I bet you're excited to see that surprise, huh?” Luna’s eyes lit up and she grinned again as her pupils sparkled in excitement. She grabbed Hau’s hand and began dragging him along back towards the path to Iki Town, “Oh! Yeah! Let's get going!” Hau couldn’t help but chuckle as he was tugged along, “W-Woah! Slow down! Ha ha ha!”

* * *

It was close to dusk now. The sky was orange and the clouds were stretched out like putty across the sky. Luna had slowed down by now, and was walking calmly beside Hau up the hill to Iki Town. Strangely, it seemed like she was relishing in the sights around her. Almost as if she had been blind all her life and today was her first day being able to see. But Hau chose not to question this. Her curiosity drove her to engage in casual conversation to pass the time. She turned her head to look at him, “Sooo, how come you call Mr Hala ‘Tutu’?” 

“Oh, it's um...Alolan. It means ‘Grandparent’.”

“Ohhhhh, I see. So _ that _ was your _grandpa_!”

In hindsight, she could see the resemblance between them. She added randomly, “It sounds like a really _ cute _language!” He chuckled at her odd compliment. “Yeah, ‘cute’ is one word I guess.” She still seemed curious about the subject, however. “I was raised on Alolan and English. So I guess you could say I speak a mix of both,” he explained. Once again she was easily impressed. She beamed, “Cool! I wish I could speak multiple languages! But it's so hard to remember~!”

She knocked her fist against her forehead as if knocking on a door, making it a point to stick her tongue out playfully as if to demonstrate how forgetful she was. Suddenly, Hau’s Raichu hopped off of it’s tail and onto it’s Trainer’s shoulder. “Rai!” Hau chuckled, patting it’s head to give it the attention it desired. Luna’s eyes lit up in wonder as she finally noticed the creature. “Woooaaahhh, is that a Pokémon?” Hau peered at her curiously. “Who, Buzz? Yeah, he's a Raichu. He probably looks a lot different from most Raichu,” he explained.

Luna tilted her head at this, “He does?” Hau raised a brow at her. Just what rock had she been living under? “You mean you've never seen one? Have you ever seen _ any _Pokémon before?” he finally asked. “Of course I have!” She chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head, a guilty look crossing her face. “Just...not many…” she admitted. He gave her an estranged look for this. “Man, that's so weird…” he mumbled. However, he quickly realized how rude it was. He held up his hands and waved them around in panic.

“Ah! No offense!”

“None taken~!”

He immediately calmed down after hearing this, sighing with relief and putting down his hands. Luna giggled. She found Hau rather amusing. He had been the first more friendly person she had met in quite a while. And while he did often give her the same looks most passersby on the streets would give her, he was definitely a breath of fresh air to her. It felt nice admittedly to talk to someone as passionate as she was. She peered at his Raichu curiously, “So what's so different about him from other Raichus?” He smiled at her.

“Well most Raichu's don't have big blue eyes like his, and their ears look very different. It's...a little hard to describe, so I'll just say most Raichu don't have yellow ears. He's a lot more tanned than most Raichu, and he's got bigger feet. But the biggest difference is something real special he can do with his tail. Go on buddy, show 'er.”

“Rai!” 

Raichu nodded, hopping off his master’s back and landing on his own tail. He began surfing around the two and through the air with smooth movements. “Raaaiiii~!” it cried. Luna stopped in her tracks completely as it began to circle her. She tried to follow it, moving her head around to look at it as best as she could. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and adoration. “Woooaaaahhhh! Soooo cooooool!” she gasped. She hung out every word she spoke in utter awe. The Raichu surfed back to his Trainer’s shoulder, hopping back onto it as it grunted.

“Rai~!”

“That's sooo awesome! I bet you're one of the coolest trainers _ ever _ !” she praised. He chuckled, scratching Raichu’s chin. “I mean, I don't compare to my best friend. She's _ waaayyy _ more impressive than me. But thanks for the compliment.” Luna was intrigued by this. “Who's your friend? I would _ toootally _love to meet her!” Sweat beaded down Hau’s face again as she smiled nervously and averted his eyes from Luna. He scratched his cheek, almost hesitant to say it.

“Funny story actually, she's-”

“Hau!”

A new voice came from behind them. They both turned around to find the source.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Eh?”

Running up the hill towards them was a girl they both recognized. She had nearly platinum blonde hair, wrapped up in a ponytail by a circular braid that acted as a scrunchie. She had on a shirt that looked vaguely like that of a sailor’s uniform. From the baggy blue hoodie hung two strings. Her white mini-skirt had a blue stripe across the bottom. Her white socks reached up only to her ankles, and were secured under a pair of white penny loafers. Her hands gripped the straps of her cutesy pink backpack as she ran. She stopped once she was right in front of them.

“Long time no see!”

“Alola, Lillie! Yeah, it sure has!”

“Are you headed to Iki Town too?”

He was about to answer when he noticed Luna was staring at Lillie. Almost intently. Her pupils were dilated and her eyes were glimmering. He didn’t really know what to make of it, so he just assumed she was curious. Lillie noticed as well, blinking at her curiously as her smile faded. “Who's this, Hau?” Hau smiled nervously again. “Oh, uh, right. You two probably haven't met,” he concluded. She turned her head to look at him again, “I've never seen her before. Did she just move here?” Hau sweat a bit, “Well...y-yeah, you _ could _say that. It's a long story. You see-”

Stars suddenly flashed in Luna’s eyes and she gasped loudly with excitement. She reached down and grabbed Lillie’s hand as she leaned in to get a closer look at her. “YOU'RE LILLIE AETHER~!” she squealed. Lillie gave a sheepish look and blinked frantically at her. She was so off-put she almost didn’t register what Luna said. “Ah...! Y-You know me?” she stuttered. Luna grinned widely and giggled. “Who _ doesn't _ know you? You're one of the children of the President of the Aether Foundation! It's such an honor to meet you! I’ve read about you online, you're _ amazing_!”

“O-Oh!” Lillie gave her a nervous smile as sweat bead down her own face. She really didn’t know how to respond. This was quite the first for her. “Why thank you, I've never had a fan before. You're too kind, truly!” It seemed in this moment, Luna realized how inappropriate of introduction she had just given. She let go of Lillie’s hands, taking a step back to clear her throat. Then, she smiled again, “I'm Luna, Luna Freya. It's truly spectacular to meet you!” Lillie nodded, “L-Lillie...but, you already know that.” She giggled in amusement at the girl.

Hau addressed Lillie again out of curiosity, “So what're you doing out here anyways? You said you were headed to Iki Town?” Lillie nodded at him, taking her hands off the straps of her bag. “That I am. The Kahuna is supposed to give me my first Pokémon, remember?” Hau’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered that was indeed planned for today. He cried out in realization, “Oh! That's right! _ You're _attending the school too!” Lillie nodded again, “That’s right!” She paused, realizing the way he had phrased this was a little odd.

“Wait...what do you mean by _ that_?” she asked. Luna chimed in again, answering the question _ for _ Hau. “Hau's grandpa is having me attend since I've never owned a Pokémon before! He wants me to prove myself!” Lillie stared at her in bewilderment, “You've never owned a Pokémon before _ either_?” She smiled and tilted her head at Luna. “Small world,” she said. Hau gave her a friendly smile as he gestured up the hill. “Well, come with us then. We were just headed back to tutu's place,” he offered. She nodded, “Sure!” Once again the three began up the hill for Iki Town, eager to meet with Hala.

* * *

By the time they had reached Iki Town, the sky had started turning purple. It was getting much later now, and soon it would be dark. It didn’t take long for Hau to spot his grandfather by the staircase that lead to their house. He waved him down and called out to him, “Tutu! We're back!” Hala looked up, quickly dispersing whatever conversation he had been having with one of the townsfolk before meeting up with the children halfway. Luna was hyper excited by now, eager to receive her surprise. “Ah, Hau, Luna. I trust everything went well?” he said upon greeting them.

Luna nodded, “Yup yup! He said I could attend!” Hala gave her a smile. “Perfect.” He turned his head, noticing Lillie as well. “And I see you’ve arrived as well, Lillie. Right on time,” he said. He turned his head to look at Luna once more, “Before I told you, Luna, that I had a surprise for you when you returned.” She began shifting in place, wiggling with excitement. It seemed like the poor girl would burst at any moment. “Ooooo~! I'm so excited~!” she chirped. He chuckled a low and jolly chuckled, “I should hope so.” He turned around, leading the children up the stairs and towards a stage outside of his house.

Hala took three Pokéballs out of his pocket, tossing them into the air to call out the Pokémon inside of them. All three landed on the stage. And as soon as they did, the girls fell completely in love. Upon the stage sat a blue sea-lion Pokémon with a round nose, an almond colored owlet Pokémon with a green leaf that resembled a bow tie, and a black and red kitten Pokémon covered in stripes. Their eyes sparkled as they gasped in adoration. Luna had an especially wide grin on her face as she looked over the adorable bundles. She simply couldn’t choose.

“I'm giving you each a Pokémon to start your school year with. You'll learn a lot with your partner, and hopefully you'll adapt to each other and become good friends. There is Popplio, the Water Type…”

“Arr arr~!” The sea-lion clapped it’s fins together as an introduction.

“Rowlet, the Grass Type…”

“Coo~!” The owlet flapped it’s wings, hovering slightly before landing back on the wooden stage.

“And Litten, the Fire Type…”

“Mrrooowww...” The kitten licked it’s own paw, almost dismissively so.

Luna couldn’t help but adore all three of the cute critters. “Wooooow...! They're all sooooo adooooorable~!” she cooed. She looked between them carefully, trying to contemplate which to choose. She didn’t usually make big decisions like this. After all, her mother always bought her clothes, always told her what to buy on errands, and always _ always _made her eat whatever she made, no requests ever. Picking a Pokémon to start her very first journey with was certainly not going to be an easy task. Especially since her mother had forbade her from owning one for so long.

“Which one do I pick...?” she muttered. Lillie looked at her curiously. She recognized that indecisive look anywhere. She too had once struggled with the concept of decision making. “Do you mind...if I take Popplio?” she asked, picking it up and smiling at it. “It's just too cute!” Luna smiled, more than happy to let Lillie take the first pick. It made her own decision much more easier. “Sure! Then I'll taaake…” she looked between Litten and Rowlet carefully. Despite being lifted off one choice already, it was still a tough call. However, her eyes stopped on Rowlet after a few minutes.

She stared at it for ten seconds, before pointing to it. “Rowlet!” she declared. Rowlet’s head turned over at an awkward angle, cooing curiously at the strange girl. “Coo?” Hala nodded in approval, “Good, good. Now then, you know the drill, Lillie.” Lillie’s eyes widened as she remembered something. “Oh, right!” she exclaimed before she turned her head to look at Luna. “Here in Alola, our Pokémon partners have to choose us as well. C'mon, let's get up on the arena!” she beckoned, climbing up the stairs with the Popplio still in her arms.

Luna followed suit, and Litten hopped off of the stage into Hau’s arms, where it was quickly put down onto the safety of land. Lillie put Popplio down, putting some distance between them while Luna did the same. Everyone was quiet, even Luna, which actually surprised Hau. Perhaps she was trying to be focused for once. Lillie was quiet as well, and after a minute she squatted down to meet Popplio’s eyes. She gave it a warm smile, and it stared back at her blankly. Then, after a few more moments, it leapt forward, flopping on it’s fins until it was able to hop back into her arms.

“Oh~!” she cried, giggling happily as she gave it a hug. She held her arms out a bit to look it in the eyes again, “I look forward to working with you, Popplio~!” She turned her head to look in Luna’s direction. She had been so focused on Popplio she had no idea if Luna’s test had concluded yet. “Hey Luna, did you-” she froze in her sentence and her smile faded. “Hm...?” she mumbled to herself. Luna wasn’t smiling anymore. She didn’t look particularly upset. Just blank. Lillie slowly rose to her feet, her Popplio still in her arms as she stared on sadly.

Rowlet’s stared at her, blinking every few seconds. It still seemed unsure of her. Both Hau and Lillie both were uneased by how long it was taking. They wondered if perhaps she had failed and the Rowlet wouldn’t choose her after all. However, she made a move that nobody expected. She tilted her head to one side, straining her neck almost as her puffy hair fell over one side of her shoulder. At first, nobody was sure what it was she was trying to do. Until that is, the Rowlet turned it’s own head at the same awkward angle to mimic her. 

The only difference is that it’s neck allowed it to go all the way without hurting itself. It cooed at her curiously. She had it’s full attention now. She just had to sell it. Then, she _ really _ blew everyone’s expectation through the waters as she began making cooing sounds much like the one the Rowlet had been making. “Cooo? Coooo?” she called. It cooed back at her in response. It seemed confused by whatever it was she had said. If it was even coherent bird language, that is. “Coo? Cooo coo, cooo?” it responded. She became _ really _focused now.

“Coo. Coo coo, coooo...coo! Coo coo.”

“Coo…”

Suddenly, her smile returned to her cheeks as she tilted her head back to it’s normal position. She held her arm out, having it bent in a strange way. She clicked her tongue before continuing her bird calling tactic. “Cooo~! Coo, coo coo?” Rowlet ruffled it’s feathers as it gave her a look of joy and acceptance. “Coo~!” it chirped, flapping it’s wings to pull itself into the air. It flew towards her, landing safely on her arm as it cooed again in a proper greeting. “Coo coo!” She pet it’s head as a reward. Lillie and Hau both were left utterly speechless. They had no idea what had just happened.

At first, they thought she might’ve just been insane. Well, perhaps she still was. But whatever trick she had just pulled out of her pocket worked like an absolute charm. One thing was for sure; she had passed her test. “Woah…” Lillie muttered, walking up to Luna finally. Luna turned her head to look at her, “Oh, your partner chose you too?” Lillie nodded to quickly answer, changing the subject as she was still processing what she had just witnessed. “Were you...communicating with it just now?” she asked, blinking in shock.

“Huh?” Luna asked, not getting the question at first. Then, she looked to her Rowlet as she realized what she was talking about. She too, seemed perplexed at her own deed. “...I guess...I was.” She smiled again and giggled. “I guess I just really wanted to tell it I'd take care of it and that it could trust me so much I managed to do just that!” she said, shrugging it off so casually. Lillie and Hau both sweat a bit again as they shared the same mental response. 

_ I don’t think that’s how that works… _

Hala joined them on the stage, approaching them to congratulate them. “That settles it, they're yours to keep. You can even give them a nickname if you so wish,” he said, handing the girls their Pokémon’s respective Pokéballs. From a tiny hole in the center of the buttons on the Pokéballs, a hologram popped out displaying a UI screen with a question and two options. A monotone voice sounding much like a docile older woman came from the screen. Each one listed the Pokémon’s name, along with some minor info on it before asking them both…

“Would you like to give your Pokémon a nickname?”

Lillie shook her head, “That's ok...it's hard enough remembering the Pokémon’s _ real _names. There's just so many!” Lillie pushed the button labelled “No” on the screen, causing the screen to vanish. Luna however, pushed the button labelled “Yes”. The screen changed, displaying the Rowlet’s gender and a small pixelated profile of it over a keypad of letters and characters to choose from. “Please enter a nickname for your Pokémon,” the AI commanded. Luna typed in a name, hitting the “Done” button once she was finished. The AI displayed the nickname in larger text.

“You have entered…‘Robin’...is this ok?”

Luna pushed the “Yes” button once again, “Yup yup~!” The screen disappeared just like Lillie’s once she was finished. Lillie smiled at her. “That's a cute name!” she complemented, turning to look at Luna’s new Rowlet. “It's nice to meet you, Robin!” she greeted. Popplio greeted it as well. “Arr~!” Robin nodded happily, cooing back at them with a flattered look. “Coo~!” Hala interrupted them, stepping towards Lillie as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Well, you should head on home now Lillie, it's getting dark out,” he pointed out.

The girls looked up, noticing that the stars were starting to come out and the moon was rising into the sky. Lillie looked back down again to meet Hala’s eyes. “I will! Thank you very much, sir!” she thanked. She bolted down the stairs, still holding her Popplio in her arms. She stopped once she reached the bottom, her eyes widening as she realized something. “O-Oh!” she cried, turning around to look at Luna again. She was stood at the edge of the stage with Hala now, watching Lillie from above. Lillie smiled at her kindly and waved to her.

“It was nice meeting you Luna, I look forward to attending class with you!”

With that, she turned and ran off with her brand new Pokémon partner. Luna waved back at her, shouting out farewells to her as she disappeared along the horizon. Robin flapped his wings again, flying off of Luna’s shoulder where he had moved and instead nestling himself at the top of her head. Her poofy hair acted like a nest for him, and he could easily settle down into it. The late hours left it feel a little exhausted. “Cooo…” it muttered quietly to itself. Luna was surprised by this, “Oh! It must think my hair is a nest!” She giggled at the cuteness of it.

Hau approached the stage to address her, the Litten still chugging along tiredly at his feet. “C'mon, let's head inside. You're probably all tuckered out after today,” he said. She contemplated her answer to this for a moment, even tilting her head again almost as if to once again mimic her Rowlet’s odd head turns. “Hmmm...nope~!” she finally chirped, turning her head back up straight. Hau blinked in shock. He was quite the ball of energy himself, but even _ he _had his limits. “H-How much energy do you have anyways...?” he gaped, sheepishly. Luna merely giggled in response, amused by his reaction to her.

This region really was something incredible, _ just _as she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, we're off on another journey.  
Btw, this fic is going to be _one_ in a series, so keep in mind that when it does reach it's last chapter, this is _totally_ not the end of it. This is just the _first_ season. That being said, I hope you guys enjoy it.  
Oh, and, before I forget. I will be releasing a profile every time a new character comes up, so today on the debut you will be able to get a gander at the main profile for Luna. They're basically going to display their designs and the Pokémon they get/that evolve as the story goes on. I hope you all enjoy it, I'm linking it here. Thanks for reading! ^w^
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/artgurusauce/art/Pokemon-Eclipse-Saga-Luna-Freya-807138172


	2. Episode 2 - New Places, New Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna begins exploring the beautiful island of Melemele. During her shopping spree in Hau'oli City, she begins to bond with her newfound partner; Robin, as she discovers they're more alike than she originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to Luna gasps and squeaks at literally everything in Alola.

Yet again it was a perfect day. Not too hot, and not too windy either. The best balance for one to go out and do some touring. Which is exactly what Luna was preparing for. She ended up taking the couch her first night, but she hardly seemed to mind. It was curious if there was anything she considered rude or disrespectful, frankly. She was quite tolerant to quite the number of misfortunes and short sticks. Though perhaps she looked at it from a unique fish lens. After all, how much worse could it get than becoming homeless in just a few short days?

But lucky wasn’t _ entirely _ against her, as evident by the feathery friend that was still nestled in her curly locks of hair at the top of her head. He had been quiet the entire time while she got herself ready to get out of the house again. The only indication Luna had to tell her he wasn’t just sleeping was of course her overnight experience sharing a bed with him. Robin was _ quite _the snorer. Go figure. So was she. But she was also a heavy sleeper. If the world began ending right outside her window she wouldn’t even twitch at the calamity.

Robin had just happened to fall asleep first. It was a lot harder for her to get to sleep, normally taking her at least an hour to do so. Whether she was borderlining on insomnia or just plain too excited to rest properly, nobody knew. She eventually finished getting ready, strapping on her boots before she stood upright off the couch and pumped both her fists enthusiastically. She still had one more day before school, so it was the perfect time to have a look around and get familiar with the routes here. Before she could leave however, she was approached by the burly old man.

“Oh! Hi Mister Hala, good morning!”  
  
“Good morning, Luna. I take it you slept well?”

“Like a _ baby_, sir! I was just getting ready to take a look around the town with Robin! You know, get a feel for the island and what-not.”

“That’s not too bad of an idea. Here, take this.”

She blinked curiously as he approached, gently taking some paper and coins from his hand. Shopping money? She looked up at him with a perplexed look, “What’s all this for, Mister Hala?” The old man gave her a kind smile, “It’s for you to get yourself lunch. Maybe buy some things you like. I feel a little sorry that your plans had to change so suddenly so don’t hesitate to treat yourself.” Luna grinned widely as she gripped the money. “Gee, thanks, sir! But you don’t have to feel bad for me. It’s no big deal, really!” she insisted, putting the money in her bag anyways.

Despite not really agreeing with his reasons to give it to her, she wanted to be polite and take it. After all, he had been so humbly hospitable to her so far. It wouldn’t kill her to take some lunch money, right? “Well, if that’s all, I think I’ll be on my way now, sir,” she said, turning and heading out the front door after receiving no further objection. As soon as she set foot outside, she began her route out of Iki Town and down the hill that lead one of the beaches this island had to offer, and by extension, the Professor’s house. 

There were so many nice spots to live around here, she wondered how anyone ever picked _ one_. Even now, the region’s beauty was astounding her. And now, she had the added bonus of actually being able to make everything out more clearly. An advantage she hadn’t had for quite some time. Even despite her woes with losing an entertaining past time, she couldn’t deny that it felt invigorating to be able to see again. She was careful not to tread too close to tall grass or any areas that looked overturned recently by a wild Pokémon.

Even with Robin at her side, she’d rather not fight just yet. At least not until she got some pokéballs, that is. After all, she’d just _ die _ if she encountered a cute Pokémon that she couldn’t even _ try _to catch. Perhaps today while she was looking around she’d buy some for herself. She eventually got to the bottom of the hill, turning on her heel Westward towards Hau’oli City. As soon as she stepped onto the concrete road, she noticed a red building with a pokéball insignia on it. She recognized this sort of building, but their general look varied from region to region.

She had never really been inside one. Since she had no Pokémon and barely ever interacted with them, there wasn’t a need for it. However, as soon as she recognized it, a thought hit her and she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around frantically as she began to sweat, making her Rowlet uneasy. “U-Uh oh! I’m totally lost! I didn’t ask Hala or Hau for a map!” she squeaked. Robin cooed quietly to himself, looking around while his Trainer panicked senselessly. Eventually, his eyes landed on a bin by the front door of the Pokémon Center.

He hovered up, flying towards the front door and snatching a piece of paper—one of a few—and carrying it back to his Trainer while cooing loudly to get her attention. She managed to pull herself together, and took the paper from her owlet’s claws. It was folded up, so she couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to be. Until that is, she opened it up and was greeted with a detailed map of the island. She beamed brightly as her eyes sparkled with joy, “Now we’re talking! Nice work, Robin! Look, you can even see our house on here!”

Robin nodded, cooing happily at the praise he was given before nestling back into her hair again. She began on her way again, keeping her eyes glued to the map intently. Hau’oli City was not far, all she had to do was keep doing straight and follow the road. She wasn’t paying much attention to the attractions in Hau’oli that were on the map so much as scanning every last bit of the rest of Melemele. It was a fairly small island from what she could gather, There were a few hotels and Pokémon Centers scattered about, but no Pokémon Shops that she could see.

** _That’s _ ** _ weird _she thought.

There were a few interesting landmarks, such as a meadow off of Route 3 that was inherently a popular photography spot. But one that caught her eye was strangely a tourist attraction just behind her new home in Iki Town. A strange landmark labelled “The Ruins of Life”. She had remembered seeing a pathway that lead further ahead before, but she didn’t really question it before. Perhaps when she got home, she would explore. Her Rowlet tightened his grip on her hair with his feet to alert her to look up, which she did. 

Upon doing so, she found in her daydreaming she had ended up in Hau’oli City without even noticing. She grinned, happily taking in it’s sights properly for the first time. True as it were, she passed through here after receiving her new prescription yesterday. But frankly, she was in such a hurry to find the landlord she didn’t even pay attention. Regardless, it was even more beautiful in clear vision than blurred. She wondered if there was a limit to how pretty a region could be. Not that her own was particularly unsightly, but she didn’t really live in a villa-esque area, either.

She looked down at the map again, scanning Hau’oli City’s various attractions as she continued onward into the city. “Alright, time to get busy!” She stopped only after 10 seconds of walking before looking around to pin-point the locations detailed on the map. “Hmm...what to do first?” She noticed she was already really close to a store, and tilted her head at the sign that designated it as a clothing store. The various clothes on display were all fit for Summer weather, a far cry from her own Autumn seasoned attire. She thought carefully for a moment.

“...It _ is _pretty hot in this region,” she smiled, “I should get something tropical to wear!”

In an instant, she had decided her first target for shopping. If Robin could speak English, he’d probably chide her for not using it on food first. Once she entered, she was greeted by a plethora of stylish wears, all only fit for warmer weather. Already, she was faced with quite the dilemma. She never really picked out her own clothes as a child. She never picked out her own anything. She hadn’t really thought about it before, but now, it was crystal clear. She had no idea what to choose, not on her own, anyways. And she had never used money on her own before, either.

Today was going to be quite the learning experience. However, rather than stress her, it actually excited her instead. “Woooaaahhh...so many cute clothes...! Where should I start~?” she chirped. Robin rolled his eyes, his face going red with embarrassment just _ being _here. It covered it’s face with it’s wings, and Luna noticed. “Aww, are you shy? It’s ok, buddy. You don’t have to help me pick out anything.” This sentiment offered Robin minimal comfort, but that was about it. It still felt like the apocalypse being in this store right now.

She proceeded to look around, being sure to make herself swift and decisive as she possibly could despite the challenge. After all, she wanted Robin to have fun, too. He couldn’t be having fun if he was turning into a tomato. After 20 minutes, she put together a couple of outfits and began going through them in the changing room. Robin looked away bashfully while she was changing. She had to go through each outfit by judging it on her own, which meant the difficult factor had upgraded. She didn’t have the slightest hint about fashion.

What if she was wearing something totally out-dated that only old people wear? That’d be _ horrendously _embarrassing. Just like she feared, she ended up not liking anything she had picked out. By the time she was done, she had tossed everything but a pair of sandals to the side. She groaned in defeat. She had already wasted an hour doing this. But she didn’t want to leave empty-handed either. She had to think of something and quick. Her eyes scanned the room until it landed on the basket she had filled already with clothes she rejected. 

Luna wondered if there was other stuff in there underneath. She began digging, eventually finding a rather fetching cropped shirt. She fished through the basket some more, even taking back the clothes she had thrown away herself already to mix and match. Eventually, she settled on a full outfit and observed herself in the mirror. She had thrown on a cropped shirt decorated in stripes of red, orange, and yellow, like a sunset. Atop their colors was the silhouette of a black hibiscus. There was a single, oversized sleeve on the left side.

There was a hole around the elbow, but it seemed intentional. For pants, she had a pair of nearly skin-tight leggings that cut off at her knees, a purple sash with tassels hanging off of it wrapped around the top of them. Finally, there were the shoes she still hadn’t thrown away since she came in here. A pair of baby blue sandals with large white stripes that stretched across the straps. She was immensely satisfied with the result staring back at her in the mirror, and beamed brightly as she gasped with excitement. 

“Aaaahhhh! This is _ perfect _~!” 

The praise peaked Robin’s curiosity, and he observed her new wears carefully. She was absolutely glowing with excitement, however, it suddenly died when she gave a displeased look and pouted. “Hmm, no, not perfect. Not yet. It’s still _ missing _something,” she grumbled. Robin looked down at the basket, noticing a dull purple piece of cloth that hung off the side. He swooped down and picked it up, delivering it to her, much to her curiosity. Then, she seemed to recognize the item in question. “Hey, is this an ascot? This is perfect!” she beamed.

She tied the small cloth around her neck in a small scarf that hung from the back of her neck. She giggled as she posed to make herself look cuter. “So, how do I look, Robin?” Robin had already landed on a railing attached to the wall by the time she had finished. He looked up, and nodded in approval. She grinned again, and cleaned up the mess she made before she exited the changing room finally. Robin cozied up in her hair again as she approached the front desk to pay, and he went right back to covering up his face in embarrassment. Luna giggled in amusement.

Luna pulled some of her money out of her bag, handing it over to the cashier as she looked over Luna’s clothing items. “I'll take these clothes, please!” It didn’t take long for her to be checked out, and once she was handed a receipt the employee gave her a friendly smile. “Thank you for your purchase! Have a nice day, ma'am!” Luna smiled back as she put her receipt away, “Thank you~!” On her way out, she waved at the cashier until the door closed to forbade them from being able to see each other. She quickly pulled the map back out.

“Ok...let's see.”

Her eyes landed on a pastry shop not too far away. However, it seemed this map was rather smudged in some places and hard to read since Robin’s grip accidentally tore it a little. But not enough to make it useless. She cried out excitedly, “Ah! There's a pastry shop here?” Her mouth began to water as her hunger caught up to her. It was most definitely lunch hour right about now. “Must...have...sweets...~!” she chanted in a dreamy and disoriented tone. Almost as if her brain had completely left the planet. Robin gave an embarrassed look again at it’s Trainer’s behavior.

Did she have no shame, or what?

All she could see and think of now was pastries. So her head was completely in limbo as she picked up her pace to find the restaurant. And eventually, after passing a Pokémon Center and City Hall, she appeared to have found the establishment. Granted, it looked a bit more rustic than she was expecting, but she wasn’t one to ask questions when she was hungry. “Ooo...this must be the place,” she declared. She stepped inside, immediately greeted with an odd musk and a smokey sort of smell. It was a small establishment, with only a few tables and booths.

But it had it’s own bar with what looked to be a single employee working. The only patrons were rather cute looking girls who were all sat near a small make-shift stage in the back. Perhaps a performance was about to begin? She approached the man behind the bar, beaming brightly, “Excuse me~!” she called. He looked up from his work, cleaning a few empty glasses that were stained with finished drinks.

“Huh?”

“Do you guys have cupcakes?”

He stared at her with an odd look for a moment, before bursting out into a low chuckle, “Afraid you're in the wrong place for _ that _ kinda delicacy, sweetheart. We serve Tauros steak here, you know, that real _ meaty _stuff.” Robin cried out in a horrified coo as he began shuddering, hugging himself with his wings. Luna stuck out her tongue, scrunching up her nose in disgust. “Ewwww!” she cried. She didn’t mean to be rude, but she wasn’t much of a meat-eater. She was more of a baked good kind of girl. Them man pointed to the front door, directing his finger to the East as she watched.

“You might wanna try a little ways down the street by the Police Station, little lady. _That's _ where they sell some _ real _tasty sweets.”

She smiled kindly at him, thankful for the advice. “Oki doki! Thanks for the help!” she praised, before turning and heading for the door again. Her Rowlet was still a bit spooked, but he had calmed down by now. However, just as her hand was about to touch the door handle, she heard a loud and rather amplified voice cry out from the back of the restaurant.

“Alright everybody, you ready to roll?!”

The question was followed by a plethora of excited screams from various girls. Luna turned around out of pure curiosity. Sure enough, the same girls were now on the edge of their seats staring at a taller boy that was now standing on stage with an odd-looking Pokémon. It much resembled an orangutan in it’s appearance. It was sat behind the boy at a drum kit that she had noticed on the stage earlier, holding the drumsticks that were previously resting on one of the drums. The boy himself was wielding what appeared to be an electric guitar that was connected to a speaker through an amp.

He was definitely taller than her, like most people. But he was a little lanky, too. Most of his head was shaved, but he did have a tuft of curly and poofy gold colored hair that hung off of his face. His eyebrows were thick, and he had bright amber eyes. He was a bit tan, like most people she’d seen around this region with only a few exceptions. The boy’s shirt was rather stylish, a purple v-neck top that had the aura of a Poison-Type Pokémon with all the splotches of purple and small splatters of chartreuse. 

Overtop he wore a dark red flannel sweater that had it’s black-tipped sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pants and shoes gave off the vibe of a Poison-Type as well, adorning a pair of black khakis that had oddly bright colors that swirled on the legs of his pants in the colors of yellow, green, pink, and indigo, the bottom of it cut off by another tip of black. Lastly, he had on regalia colored shoes and dark purple socks to match. On his sneakers was a black zig-zag pattern that etched along the white soles of the shoes. His attire overall was rather funky and zealous.

Her eyes lit up with excitement, “Ahhhh...! A band...?!

The boy was standing in front of a microphone that was set-up on a small stand. Luna wondered briefly as he continued to ramp up the girls in the crowd if that Pokémon he was performing with was his. “Are you ready to _ ROCK_~?!” he asked, putting much emphasis on the last word as he raised his voice to get more cheers. And it worked like a charm; The girls were all over him yet again. Luna carefully tread closer, curious to hear his performance. The boy seemed satisfied with the amount of attention he had gauged from the girls and nodded to the Pokémon behind the drums.

“Then let’s do this!”

The boy tapped his foot a couple times, as the Pokémon tapped it’s drumsticks together in time with the movement. After their brief warm-up, the boy shred a note on the guitar and let it sit for a moment, as the Pokémon behind the drums began beating frantically on the drums. Robin covered his ears, moreso annoyed by the loudness of the performance than the notes they hit themselves. And boy, did they hit those notes hard. The girls were melting and screaming like banshees, especially when he began singing into the microphone. 

“Woooaaaahhhh...! So cool~!” Luna whispered in excitement.

Surprisingly, he had an extremely lovely sounding voice. It was hard for Luna _ not _to get excited about it. She began cheering from the back, completely invested in the show. It only lasted for a few minutes, but it was hands-down the best thing she had ever witnessed. As soon as the set was over, the boy blew his hair out of his face, only for it to fall over his left eye again as he gave the girls a coy smirk. The girls screeched again, before talking incomprehensibly over each other at him, asking him for selfies and copies of his CDs. 

He held his hands up, keeping a smooth aura about him as he spoke, “Ladies, ladies, settle down. One at a time. I'm only one man~”

The girls obediently formed a line up to the stage, giggling giddily. Luna blinked, staring blankly for a few moments before she burst out into an excited grin. Her eyes sparkled with stars. “I _ totally _have to get his autograph...!” she rasped. She got in the back of the line, waiting patiently as it slowly moved forward. Robin was still rubbing at his ears, cooing in a pout. Luna giggled at him and reached up a hand to pet him and scratch his wings. “There there, it’s ok. We’ll be gone as soon as I get his signature, promise!” Robin was at her mercy with the satisfying scratches she gave him.

She kept on giving him attention for a few more minutes as the line moved along, until finally, she was up to see the rock n’ rolling boy. He raised his brows at her in slight surprise as soon as his eyes landed on her, “Well hell-ooo there. You're a new face. What's _ your _ name?” Luna waved her hands at him, utilizing the greeting Hau had taught her the night before as she introduced herself. “Alola! My name is Luna. Luna Freya,” she put her hands down before continuing, “I'm new here to this region! I just saw you and your super cool Pokémon playing that music and I would _ love _your autograph!”

“You mean my Oranguru?” He paused, changing the subject before she could answer, “Wait...my autograph? Well shoot, I ain't _ that _ famous. The most girls ever ask for is my number.” She folded her hands together, making a begging face. “_Pleeeeaaaaasssssse_? I'll go to every concert you have until I die!” she promised. He chuckled at the sudden declaration. The dedication some of these girls showed was absurd. “Ok, ok, you won me over. Sure. You got some paper little lady?” Luna reached into her purse, pulling out a notepad and handing it to him.

He pulled out a pen from a pocket on the front of his sweater and began scribbling on the paper. He stopped briefly, looking up at her again. “I assume I'm making this one out to a certain blonde haired enthusiast?” he guessed. She gasped excitedly, “That's me~!” He chuckled again and resumed scribbling on the page he was on. After he was finished, he handed it back to her and put his pen back in his pocket. She read his handwriting, which was surprisingly very fancy and neat, and was greeted with the message “Shoot past the stars, Comet”.

“Ohhhhh..._Comet_~! That's a really pretty name!”

She smiled at him before adding, “Thanks, Comet!” He shrugged his shoulders, slicking his hair back only for it to yet again fall back over his face. “It's no biggie,” he said, smugly smirking. She seemed totally unfazed by all his charms, despite her enthusiasm. It was sort of off-putting for him. Then, her smile faded as she suddenly thought of something. “Oh but, quick question!” she begged. He raised a brow at her, but this wasn’t a new request. She was probably curious about his CDs or something. “Er, sure. Fire away, kid,” he said.

She stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then, she blind-sided him.

“Are all those girls your girlfriends?”

He blushed, his face nearly turning red from embarrassment. Out of all the questions he’d been asked, that was probably the strangest thing he’d ever heard. Of course, he’d dealt with people asking about his relationship status before, but _ this _ was a whole new level of personal. “Wh-what?! _No_!” he yiped. He rubbed the back of his head nervously as he sweat a little. His eyes drifted towards some of the other girls who were still standing nearby, chatting away about their selfies and copies of his album. He lowered his voice intentionally as to not alert them.

“My girlfriend...well, she um...doesn't much care for these kinds of places.”

Luna tilted her head curiously, and her Rowlet mimicked the movement. He took his hand off his neck, hesitantly looking Luna in the eye again. “B-Besides, it's just an act is all. Gotta keep up my image, you know?” Luna smiled again and nodded in understanding. When it came to romance, she was _ quite _ empathetic. A tale of hidden love such as this tugged at her heart strings. “She must be a _ real _lucky gal. You sure are cool!” she complimented. He frowned, giving her a pitiful look as he rubbed his arm nervously, “Oh gee, don't tell me you're jealous.”

“Nope nope~! Not even remotely, actually!”

Comet was sure the absolute shock and confusion he felt was reflected on his face. He was definitely not expecting such a harshly blunt answer such as that. He began sweating a little. This had to be the oddest girl he had ever met. She was almost completely unreadable. _ She sure sends a lot of mixed signals… _ he thought. He gave her a nervous smile as he stuttered, “A-Ah...I see.” Luna finally put the notepad back in her bag, waving her fingers at him. “Well, thanks for the signature, Mister! See ya!” She turned tail immediately, and was out the front door in mere _ seconds_.

Comet was left on the stage by himself, dumb-founded by what he had just experienced.

“...Well, that was..._interesting_.”

“Guru.”

* * *

Luna continued trotting down the road, following the directions of the man behind the bar. She stopped prematurely, noticing a rather bright and colorful looking building. The sign at the top was gigantic and pretty hard to miss. She read it aloud to herself, “Alola...Photo Club.” Stars shone in her eyes again as she smiled. She let out an elongated gasp before grabbing Robin from her head and pulling him down to look at him. “C'mon Robin, let's go take a picture to celebrate our union!” she proposed. He tilted his head at her curiously, blinking slowly.

She approached the front door and entered enthusiastically, greeting the receptionist loudly.

“Alola~!”

“O-Oh! Alola, miss. Welcome to the Alola Photo Club! Would you like to take some photos?”

“I sure would!”

She smiled at them, “Then come right this way!”

She gestured her hand towards a door on the left side of the room, stepping out from behind the front desk as Luna approached it. Robin flew out of her hands, cooing curiously and constantly tilting his head back and forth in awkward directions. Luna and the receptionist entered the room, and Luna gasped in awe, “Woooahhhh...!” The entire room was green. A bright, almost sort of ugly green. There was a red stool in the center, and hanging from the ceiling was a fancy looking camera hanging from a strange support beam.

The receptionist began fiddling with it, adjusting and tapping on the screen to get it working. “Alright, you two may pose however you like. Would you like to choose a background for your photo?” Luna blinked blankly, not understanding what she meant at all. “Background...?” she said, tilting her head to the side again as her Rowlet mimicked her. The woman offered her a nervous smile, “Ah, this must be your first time.” She gestured her hand towards the screen on the camera, prompting Luna and Robin to look at it.

They were both in awe at the plethora of landscape images that were sliding across the screen. “You see, the room _ looks _ green, but when we take your picture it'll look like you're standing in one of _ these _places,” the receptionist explained. “Woooaahhh! Cool!” Luna pointed her finger at the screen when a certain image popped up, “I want that one!” The woman nodded, “Alrighty then, just let me know when you're ready~!” Luna stepped in front of the camera, Robin flapping his wings slightly to propel himself forward on the ground to follow her.

Luna pinched her chin in deep thought for a moment, gazing sternly into space. Robin tilted his head again, curious to his Trainer’s thought process. Then, she smiled and slammed her fist down against one of her palms. “I know, let's do something cool like uhhh…” Luna awkwardly positioned herself like a hawk swooping in on it’s prey. She lifted her arms up, bending her elbows upwards as she leaned her head down and arched her back. “Do something like this, and I'll doooo…” she changed her position again, striking a cool pose with her arm held out confidently.

“This!”

“Coo cooo~!” Robin chirped, slapping his wings together in a clap.

Luna nodded at the receptionist as she looked up, “Alright, we're ready!” The woman nodded back, fiddling with the camera a little before holding up her hand to signal them to start posing. They both struck their poses with complete synchronicity and perfection. The woman giggled as she took several photos of them. It was over with surprisingly quickly, as she stood up and backed away from the camera. “Alright, all done! That was a great photo shoot, would you like to add some stickers to your photos?”

“Stickers?”

She smiled and walked over to her, Robin fluttering along beside her, “Totally!” She followed the woman out of the room and watched as she printed out her photos on a strange PC-like machine by the door. The receptionist handed her a few sheets of stickers, and Luna went to town on all 6 photographs, even sticking a few on her own face and planting a cute pokéball sticker onto Robin. “Ooooo...these look amazing!” Luna smiled as she observed her work. Then, she addressed the receptionist again, “Thank you, miss!”

“You have a nice day now, you hear?”

“I will!”

Robin nestled in Luna’s arms, allowing her to hug him close to her chest. She waved at the receptionist briefly, before shuffling out of the building quickly. “Alright...now what was I doing again?” She put a finger on her chin as she stared off in thought. Then, her stomach let out a loud and low growl that almost sounded like a Pokémon. Her face turned red as she blushed and she giggled nervously to play it off. “Ahahahaha...r-right. _ Pastries_,” she recalled. She continued on her way down the road, following the man’s previous directions carefully.

“Alright, that guy from the diner said it was riiight by the police station.” She looked down at Robin, still holding him close in her arms. She smiled, “You think they'll have anything you'll like?” Robin cooed, climbing onto her arm and perching on it. She giggled again, but much more naturally this time as she held up her arm to allow him room to return to his favorite spot. “Right, I'm sure you like Pokébeans, don't you?” He cooed again, hopping back onto the top of her head and nestling into her curly hair yet again. 

It didn’t take long before she was stood outside a _ much _more colorful looking restaurant that even had an adorable mascot sign. A Pokémon she recognized from her home region called Slurpuff. She stepped inside, immediately being greeted by one of the cashiers.

“Alola~!”  
  
“Ah...Alola!”

Luna gently walked up to the cash register, smiling a bit nervously. “Is this...a pastry shop?” she asked, tentatively. She didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. The cashier nodded, “That it is, little lady. We sell malasadas here.” Luna tilted her head again, but only slightly as she sounded out the word she didn’t recognize. “Mala...sadas...?” she repeated. The cashier didn’t correct her, so she was confident she heard correctly. She tilted her head back into place and smiled, “I'll take two, please.” The cashier began registering her order into the register.

“That’ll be 400 Pokéuros.”

Luna reached into her purse, pulling out the rest of her money and handing it over save for some coins in change she had left. “Here you go, miss.” She took the payment, putting it away in the register before she turned around. It was then and only then that Luna had noticed their cookers were right behind them. The woman carefully pulled out two fresh and delicious smelling pastries and placed each in a tiny paper hold bag. She turned back around, handing the malasadas over to the curious young girl with a friendly smile.

“Here you go! Have a nice lunch, miss!”

“Thank you~!”

Luna made her way over to a booth, sitting down at the table quietly. After she was settled in her seat, she held up one of the pastries to Robin so he could eat it. “Coo…?” he chirped, sniffing it to inspect it first. After 10 seconds of stillness and silence, he took a bite. The taste was like an explosion of flavor in his mouth. It caused his eyes to shoot wide open as his face warmed, causing him to blush again. Only this time, he seemed elated rather than shy. “Coooo~!” he chirped again, proceeding to munch down on the malasada at a steady pace.

Luna couldn’t help but giggle again. “You like that, huh? It _ must _ be good, then.” Without wasting another moment, she chomped down on her own malasada. She chewed, swallowed, and sat still for a brief 5 seconds. Then, her eyes exploded with stars as she grinned the widest grin she’d ever mustered. “Aaaahhhh...! This is _ heaven _! How have I never tasted such perfection before?!” she mused. Her face was flushed too, now. She didn’t have much variety when it came to foods she had tasted, but pastries was her most dominant field. 

And this certainly beat cake by a long shot.

Robin was the first to finish his malasada, having started before her. Once he was done gulping every last bit of it down, he cooed with a sigh of satisfaction. She pulled her arm back down once she felt him gobble up the last of it out of the paper wrap, continuing to munch on her own snack. “Om~!” Robin stared down at her, curious to the sound she just made involuntarily. “Coo?” he called. She quickly finished her malasada, sighing with relief as well at the wonderful filling feeling she had. “Delicious...~!” she declared. 

Robin cooed yet again to get her attention, which worked like a charm, as she reached up and pulled him off her head to set him on the table. She folded her arms against the table, tilting her head at him in a playful manner. “You know...we have a lot in common, huh?” she said. He tilted his head to mimic her, as usual, and let out a curious “Coo?” She pet his head lovingly as she beamed brightly. “I'm glad I picked _ you_, Robin. You're just too cute~!” He cooed happily, much enjoying the attention even if he didn’t fully understand what she was saying.

Eventually, she got up to toss out their garbage and put him back on her head. “C'mon, let's head home. I wanna show Hau my new outfit and those cool photos we took!” she insisted. Robin nodded, cooing in agreement at the sentiment. It was most certainly almost the afternoon now, and it was best they get on their way home immediately. Luna turned, heading out the front door again as she began her path back home, pulling the map back out from her bag so she wouldn’t get lost again on the way there.

* * *

It was yet another good morning in Alola. An _ early _morning, in fact. Hau wasn’t normally up at this hour, but him and his grandfather both knew just from one night of Luna sleeping there that she’d be difficult to wake. So, today, he was up earlier than usual, walking his Raichu out into the living room where Luna and her Rowlet slept like angels. He yawned, pointing towards them tiredly. “You know what to do, Buzz. Just be a bit gentler, alright? We don’t wanna injure them,” he said. Buzz nodded, surfing over to the couch where the two lazy birds slumbered.

His cheeks sparked, and he focused all his energy on making this shock as painless as possible. After a few seconds, he unleashed a shock wave that awoke Rowlet successfully, but unfortunately, didn’t even make Luna _ twitch_. Hau sweat a little bit. He was afraid this would happen. “Take it up a notch, then,” he said, though clearly hesitant to ask that of his Pokémon. Buzz prepared another shock wave, as Rowlet began fluffing himself to undo the scuffs left behind by the attack. 

He finished quickly, looking up in time to see Hau’s Raichu preparing another attack..._on his Trainer_. He let out a loud battle cry before diving upwards and slamming into Raichu’s back to stop him. Unfortunately, that only served to break Buzz’s concentration and avalanche him into unleashing a 500 volt attack. Hau cried out in panic, but he was quickly overshadowed by the sound of giggling and snorting. Eventually, he saw that Luna was squirming on the couch and went to check on her. She had tears in her eyes, but...she was laughing hysterically. 

“Th-that tickles~! Q-Quit it!” She snorted again, “I-I’m up, I’m up! Hahaha~!”

Hau sighed in relief. _ So she’s totally immune to Buzz’s attacks...at least so far as hurting her goes _ he deduced, calling his Raichu back into it’s ball to cease the triggered attack. Luna took a moment to catch her breath, before sitting up to wipe her tears away. “Th-_that _sure was a wake-up call!” she snorted. Hau snickered a bit, “You should get up. School starts in a couple of hours, you don’t wanna be late.” Luna nodded, getting up and picking up her now fried Rowlet from the floor and proceeding to start fixing up his scuff feathers all over again.

“Geez, you must roll around a _lot _in your sleep, huh, Robin?”

Robin just cooed exhaustedly and didn’t try to protest. It didn’t take long for Luna to get ready, throwing on the clothes she had just bought the day before and brushing out the cowlicks in her hair she had gotten from rolling around in her sleep unknowingly. Once she was finished, she began making herself a make-shift, rush breakfast of toast while putting Pokéfood out for Robin. Just as she finished her toast and bit down into it, she heard the unexpected sound of a knock on the front door. “I wunfur foo vat coof be?” she said, still chewing on her toast under her words.

She walked up to the door, opening it to see none other than Lillie at her doorstep. She was perfectly kempt and dressed up, ready to go. Beside her at her feet was her Popplio. “Good morning, Luna,” she greeted. Luna smiled, “Vivvie~!” Her words were still muffled through the toast in her mouth. Lillie sweat a little, giving her a nervous smile and pointing to her own mouth. “Erm, Luna? You’ve...got a little..._something_, there.” Luna’s eyes scanned downwards and finally noticed she was still eating her breakfast. She gobbled the rest of it up, swallowing it quickly.

“Sorry about that! Anyways, what’re _you _doing here? School starts in a couple of hours, you know.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. Hau asked me if I could help walk you to school today. Since you’re new here, and all.”

“Ohhh! That’s really nice of him! Sure thing, I’m almost ready!”

“Oh, I’ll just wait out here then.”

Lillie waited for a few more minutes, before Luna returned, her Rowlet once again in it’s rightful spot atop her head. “Alright, let’s get going!” Lillie bent down, scooping up her Popplio into her arms before nodding at Luna and beginning to guide her towards the school. It was a long walk, so they decided to fill the time with conversation. “So, how’s your Popplio doing? You get into any battles yet?” Luna asked. Lillie shook her head, “No, not yet. We spent all day yesterday playing in the pool together. She’s such a good swimmer!”

“That sounds like a lot of fun! I toured around Hau’oli City just yesterday! Buuut, I still haven’t got the hang of this place yet. Thanks for showing me the way around, by the way!”  
  
“Oh, it’s nothing, really. So you went out yesterday? I see you bought some new clothes. They look really cute!”

“I had _ such _ a hard time picking things out! I’ve never really had to buy my _ own _things before.”

“R-Really? Did...did your mother always buy your clothes for you?”

Luna nodded with a frown, “Mmhm. Always picked real ugly stuff too!” She huffed with a pout.

Lillie giggled, “I see. My mother used to dress me up all the time too.” Luna’s huff faded as she stared at Lillie with a cute curiosity. “Oh yeah, your mom’s the President of the Aether Foundation. I read about that scary incident that happened during Spring this year,” she explained. Lillie blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed by the publicity. Especially since it reached other regions far from here. “O-Oh, it was _ all _over the news, wasn’t it? So embarrassing…” She covered her reddened face with her hands as she sweat awkwardly.

Luna snickered, “Awww, it’s ok Lillie! I think you’re really cool! Standing up to your mother like that, and even taking her _ alllll _ the way across the ocean to get her cured! You’re so amazing!” Lillie took her hands down as her blush faded. She couldn’t help but smile kindly. She was flattered, really. Despite this being a first, she was still pretty familiar with popularity. It was just the horrifying idea that thousands—No— _ millions _ of people knew your face and yet you didn’t know theirs that was the _ worst _ part. But she had always been trained to expect this growing up. So it didn’t bother her nearly as much. Besides, she took a backseat in comparison to..._her_.

“Thank you very much for your kind words. I just...wanted to do the right thing. But I certainly couldn’t have gotten as far as I did without the help of my friends.”

“That’s so sweet~! I wish I had some more friends.”

“Oh, well, _ we _could be friends. We...are going to be classmates, after all.”

“You _ mean _it?! Oh gosh, it’d be such an honor!”

“On _ one _condition.”

Luna blinked at her curiously. “Huh? What is it?” Lillie gave a sheepish look as she blushed lightly. She didn’t light up like a tomato this time, but she was still a little flustered. “Just pretend like I’m totally normal, ok? I only want to be defined by my accomplishments from here on out!” Luna blinked at her silently again for a few more seconds, before she smiled and nodded. “I get it! Say no more, Lillie! From now on, you’re not Lillie Aether, daughter of the President of the Aether Foundation! You’re just Lillie, the aspiring Pokémon Trainer!”

Lillie giggled, “You know what? I think I like that title a lot better!” A thought occurred to Lillie, as her smile suddenly faded again. “Say, Luna, you never told me how you got all mixed up in this.” Luna tilted her head at her, “Wadda ya mean?” Lillie frowned, “Well, Hau told me about how there was a misunderstanding about your move here.” Luna let out an elongated, “Ooohhh” as she realized what Lillie meant by that. “Well, you see, my mom is the one that sent me out here, actually!” Lillie’s eyes widened a bit, she leaned in, starting to get invested in Luna’s tall tale.

“She told me since I’m 12 now it’s time to start learning how to live on my own! Make more mature decisions and such! So, she sent me on a ship to Alola with just the clothes on my back and whatever would fit into my purse. Thankfully, I didn’t own much. So I didn’t lose anything valuable~!”  
  
“And when you came here...you were expecting to have a home ready for you?”  
  
“Yup yup! My mom told me she was paying for it and everything! But that lady said Melemele hasn’t had a vacancy in _ years_!”

“Oh my! How terrible! P-Perhaps your mother mixed things up?”  
  
“Nah, she probably just stretched the truth so she could get me out of the house. Not that I mind! It feels sooo much better being on my own! And hey, I _ finally _have a Pokémon!”

“Sounds like a real adventure! But, have you tried to contact your mother since you got here?”

Luna shook her head, still smiling without a care in the world, “Nope nope! Before I left she told me specifically to _ neeeever _ contact her again! So, I won't~!” Lillie’s eyes widened in horror. How could someone be so cruel to their child like that? Then, thinking about it, she’d been through much tribulation with her _ own _mother, too. She was silently thankful she had been saved. “That sounds so cruel! You don't _mind_ that?” Lillie said. Luna just kept on smiling naively, as if she was talking about something completely different, “Not much I can do about it now, right?”

Lillie sighed tiredly, “I wish I had your resolve...I used to have a lot of problems with _ my _mother, too.” Luna’s smile faded, “Awww, that's a shame…” She frowned before continuing, “I'm sure your mom loves you a lot!” Lillie looked up at her, flusteredly trying to correct herself. “O-Oh. I know she does.” She smiled, “I just wanted to let you know you can always talk about yours if you'd like.” Luna held up a hand in objection, her own smile returning, “I'm good. But thanks~!” 

“This is going to be the first time I train all on my own...I've always had my friends there to help me. But that's about to change!”

Lillie pumped both her fists enthusiastically as stars shown in her eyes, “I'm gonna give it my all this year!” Luna pumped one of her fists into the air as well, cheering excitedly, “Me too~!” They went on walking beside each other silently for a few minutes after that. They had eventually reached Hau’oli City, and were incredibly close to reaching their school now. Lillie’s smile faded again as self-doubt crept into her thoughts. “You know, I wish I could be strong like my big brother…” Luna’s face went blank for a moment, “Your brother?”

Suddenly, she burst into a wide grin, “You mean, _ Gladion _ Aether?” Lillie nodded, “Mmhm~! I'm not too surprised you've heard of him, since he's the heir to Presidency after all.” Luna suddenly sighed dreamily as her eyes got lost into space. She cupped one of her cheeks in her hands as she blushed softly. “He's _ only _ my _ dream _ husband~!” she mused. Lillie’s eyes widened in absolute shock at the confession. Luna...had a crush on her _brother_? “D-Dream _husband_?” she repeated. Hearts sparkled in Luna’s eyes as her grin grew wider.

“My heart has been set on him since I first saw his picture in the news! Isn't he just the _ cuuutest_~? He's just _ sooooo _perfect~!”

Lillie sweat a little bit, not sure how to respond. She offered a nervous smile, however. She knew what having a crush was like, so she wasn’t really one to judge. “I...had no idea you had such a big crush on him,” she admitted. “Crush? I'm in _ love_~!” Luna breathed, inflamed. Lillie couldn’t help but giggle. Was _ this _ what it looked like when _ she _ talked about _ her _ crush? “Well, I uh...support your endeavors,” she said. Lillie’s support seemed to spark even _ more _ excitement into Luna. “Don't you worry Lillie, I'll be the best sister-in-law _ ever_!” she squeaked.

“I should hope so…”

Suddenly, Lillie stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed something ahead of them.

“Ah…?”

Luna stopped as well, still keeping her eyes trained on Lillie’s face curiously. “What is it?” she asked. Lillie wasn’t looking at her at all. She was staring onwards at something Luna couldn’t see. “Is that...my _ brother_...?” she asked. Luna turned her head to look and was caught just as frozen as Lillie if not more so. Sure enough, on the corner of the street they were about to turn stood a boy that was a bit taller than them wearing all black and had bright blonde hair. He much resembled Lillie, but his hair was mostly down-shaven with the exception of the bangs that covered all of the right side of his face.

Even still, his emerald green eyes, identical to Lillie’s, were perfectly visible from where they were standing. He appeared to be talking to an older man, a rather stylish looking one at that. He had his pink hair pulled back in an odd ponytail. He was incredibly tanned and he looked to be quite trendy judging by his stylish vest and the glove on his left hand. Not to mention his comb over. The older man said something that neither of them could hear, but they saw Gladion’s face contort in annoyance. The man turned and walked off, leaving Gladion by himself.

“What's _ Gladion _doing here?” Lillie asked.

“Gladion...?” Luna repeated.

Then, hearts appeared in her eyes again, and Lillie could see what came next from a mile away. Luna suddenly cried out in blind, youthful love, “GLADION~!!!” before gunning right for him. Gladion heard her call, and turned around to address it, but he had no time to react as she pounced on him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. The maneuver sent them both flying onto the pavement, but she hardly acknowledged the fall at all. Lillie gasped in shock, not expecting them _ both _to go down to the floor like that.

“Ah!! W-Who the heck...?!”

“I finally found you, daaarling~!”

Gladion’s face flushed at the strange endearing name. He didn’t bother asking questions. All he knew it that he wanted this girl _ off _ of him. “H-Hey, get off me you crazy lady!” he protested, shoving her away as best he could. Lillie ran up to them to check on them as the sudden crash startled her. “A-Are you two ok?!” she yelped. Gladion looked up at her in bewilderment. He didn’t really have time to ask questions right now but he had hoped his sister could help. “L-Lillie who the heck _ is _this?” Lillie didn’t get to answer before Luna piped up again.

“The name's Luna Freya, but you can call _ me _your future wife!”

“Gyaahhh...!”

Lillie was starting to panic again. She had to defuse this, and fast. Then, she came up with a diversion. “Uhhh...H-Hey, Luna? You forgot the flowers you know! I-It's proper to get your crush flowers, right?” she protested. Luna gasped in horror, _ instantly _jumping to her feet and releasing her hold on the poor boy. She blushed, completely embarrassed by her shameful display, “F-Forget this happened for a sec, ok?! I gotta make sure I do this right!” Before either of them could get a word in, she was gone down the opposite way they came on the street.

They were silent and still for half a minute, before Gladion slowly pulled himself back up and dusted himself off. He was exasperated as he demanded answers from his sister, “Lillie, what was _ that_?!” Lillie became flustered all over again as she scrambled to apologize. “I'm sorry big brother!” She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down so she could properly explain, “That's a Trainer, she's here from Kalos. She and I are starting school today. But she's umm...she's never had a Pokémon before and she doesn't know a whole lot about them.” 

She paused briefly before she continued hesitantly, “And she's a little...um..._ energetic_.” Gladion rolled his eyes as he patted the dust off his sleeves, “I could tell she's got a few screws loose…” Lillie gave him a stern look. Despite Luna’s abrupt behavior, she had already found much common ground with her. By all accounts, despite Luna’s faults, she couldn’t deny she was well-meaning. Even if this weren’t the case, Lillie never approved of such vulgar insults. “Be nice, will you?” she lectured. He looked at her as though she had grown a second head.

“Are you for _ real_?”

“Gladion!”

She stopped herself, then sighed. She realized that wasn’t _ entirely _ fair, “Look, I know she's...a _ bit _ much. But she’s really nice, you know? She and I have a lot in common. And I know it's weird that she's got a _ bit _ of a crush on you, and you _ don't _ have to play along. But at _ least _ be nice, ok?” Gladion stared at her quietly for a moment, before rolling his eyes. When did she get so persuasive, anyways? “Ugh..._fine_. But I'm not going to tolerate _ any _touching.” Lillie blinked, surprised he agreed so quickly. “I guess that's fair…” she muttered.

Gladion frowned sheepishly as he crossed his arms, “This is what mother must've meant by ‘The Curse of Publicity’. What a pain…” Lillie offered him a sincere smile as she pat his arm. “It's not _ all _ bad, Gladion. Hey, maybe you might actually end up _ liking _ her. You could use a girl to iron out that defensive tude of yours~” she teased, sticking her tongue out mockingly. Gladion’s face flushed a bit again as he pouted indignantly at her taunting. “H-_Hey_!” he snapped. Suddenly, his rage and embarrassment left him as he suddenly realized something.

Something he hadn’t quite paid attention to _before_…

“Ah…?” His eyes widened a bit, “Wait a second. She looked _ familiar_…” Lillie raised a brow at this. She had a hard time believing he met her and didn’t recognize her so up close. “Is that right? I think you'd remember meeting her, big brother. From what I hear, she's a huge klutz and an even bigger loudmouth.” That single word, “Klutz” set off his mind in an instant. He was sure he had that thought about someone recently. But who was it? Then, it hit him.

“Clutz...ah!” he turned to look at his sister again, “She bumped into me two days ago! Her glasses were outdated, so she couldn't see _ anything_. So I had one of the specialists at the Foundation make her _new_ glasses.”

“_You _ did that for her? That's so sweet, big brother!”

Gladion put one of his palms against his head, “Uggghhh...she probably didn't recognize me because she was practically _ blind_.” Lillie giggled at the sheer absurdity of it. What a small world it was, after all. “What're the odds?” Gladion’s eyes drifted downard again. He finally seemed to take notice of the Pokémon nestled in her arms as he looked down at it. “Is that a Popplio?” he asked. Lillie smiled excitedly, “Oh! Yeah! Say hello, Popplio~!” Popplio smiled adorably as it addressed it’s Trainer’s brother, “Arr arr~!” Gladion smiled softly, patting it’s head gently.

“Figures you'd pick this one,” he said, before stepping back and take his hand off it’s head, “It suits you…”

She pouted, “I _ hope _ that's a _ compliment_.”

He rolled his eyes at her obliviousness, “Of course it is, sheesh. Gimme a break, will you?”

She smiled at him again, “Thanks, big brother. How's Silvally doing, by the way?”

“He’s—”

Gladion never got to respond, as Luna came returning at lightspeed with a bouquet of roses in her hand. Lillie didn’t even bother trying to question how she got a hold of them so fast. Luna greeted Gladion again, peppy as ever. “I'm back my love~!” she cooed. Gladion looked to Lillie for a moment, who gave him a stern glare. He rolled his eyes and sweat a bit, hesitantly taking the bouquet out of Luna’s hands. He didn’t meet her eyes, though. “Gee, thanks. They're..._r__eally _ lovely,” he muttered, half-heartedly. Stars shined in her eyes again as she grinned.

“Ahhh...~! Gladion liked my gift...~!”

Suddenly, Lillie noticed how far the sun had risen, “Ah, Luna...we're going to be late for our first day of classes!”

Luna became flustered and frowned in a slight pout. “Oh geez!” She mustered up another smile for Gladion as she began on her path forward towards the school, “I have to go for now, darling! But next time we cross paths I promise we can spend some more time, ok~?” As soon as she was gone from view, Gladion frowned. 

“...I hate roses.”

“_Gladion_!” 

“Ok! Geez..._you _ try having a stalker that's madly in love with you…”

Lillie sighed and put her hands on her hips, “What're you even doing out here _ anyways_, Gladion...?” Gladion’s pout faded away as he stared at her blankly. “I came here to ask Ilima about something. But I also figured I should come and see you. It is your first day after all.” Lillie smiled, feeling touched by her brother’s words. “Awww, is my big brother worried about me?” she teased, slightly. He scowled a bit, pouting indignantly at the taunt. “D-Don't be a pain, I was just making sure you didn't oversleep like you _ always _do.” Lillie’s cheeks puffed up and flushed.

“I do _not_—”

He smirked, “You're gonna be late, siiis~”

“_Oohhhh_...! This conversation _ isn't _over, got it?!” she fumed, running past him as she began calling out for Luna, “Luna wait for me!”

Gladion watched her leave, sighing in relief once she was gone. He did love his little sister, but even _ she _was a pain sometimes. Of course, she didn’t hold a candle to her new friend. The Tapu must be playing pranks on him lately. He glanced over as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Just as he thought he saw, there was an odd man not too far away that seemed to be watching him. Gladion wouldn’t have even blinked at him, if not for his all black attire. Exactly what he had been looking for. 

He narrowed his eyes at the man, tossing the bouquet over a fence as he began approaching the mysterious figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: Finally got the profile done. Go on and have a looksies, kids:  
https://www.deviantart.com/artgurusauce/art/Pokemon-Eclipse-Saga-Comet-Roid-814367124
> 
> Anyways, the self-insert shipping trash heap begins. Scoff in disgust at my shamelessness. It's ok. I can take it ewe  
I tried to think of a more fun and unique way to start this out. I found personally the polar opposite route to be much more funny. But hey, what do you guys think?


	3. Episode 3 - You're Not My Type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Lillie attend their first day at the school. On top of meeting their new classmates and their teacher, they learn their very first lesson about Type Advantages.

The school in and of itself was quite the spectacle. It was built tall and sturdy, almost like a castle in a way. It reminded Luna of the brochures she had seen of the infamous Aether Paradise. Though it was a lot more colorful looking. And it seemed that while there was a large amount of plants growing on and around the infrastructure, that it was more eye-catching than unkempt. Luna basked in the breath-taking sight, almost mesmerized by it. Curiously, it seemed that nobody else was around save for herself and of course, Lillie.

“Woooaaahhh...this place looks awesome!” Luna cried.

Lillie looked around, appearing worried by the lack of people, “Hmm...I wonder who else will be attending with us.”

She smiled at Luna, her worried expression fading away. “I'm sure lots of new Trainers just like us must be here!” she beamed. Luna seemed excited at the prospect of making new friends. After all, you could never have _ too _many friends, right? “I sure hope so!” Luna grinned. She began for the front door, beckoning Lillie to follow her. “C'mon, let's get inside! I wanna learn as soon as possible!” A bit of sweat dripped down Lillie’s head as she smiled nervously. “If only Hau could have the same drive for the academic…” she giggled.

She caught up with Luna again, stepping inside the prodigious looking school alongside her. Once inside, they noted it did not appear to look like any ordinary school. The stairs spiralled, and the decorum was littered with Pokémon themed furniture, paintings, and the like. Luna took note upon entering of a couple of pillared statues on either side of the large doors they had entered, carved into the shapes of what appeared to be wolf Pokémon that looked vastly different to each other. One stood on it’s hind legs while the other stood on all fours.

There was also a rather unorthodox sign system it appeared. Each door had a potted hedge plant just outside of it that appeared to detail what it’s use was. One had the shape of a berry, another had the shape of a Chansey, and another had the shape of a sheriff’s badge. Lillie took a step towards the spiralled stairs, noticing upon further inspection that the railings had some sort of sparkling, blinking lights embedded into the railings. She looked up, trying to see what was above her head.

“I think our classroom is upstairs.”  
  
“Oki doki! Lead the way, Lillie!”

The girls treaded up the staircase, eventually reaching the top to find a few more rooms. And yet the decorum was no more stranger here than it was downstairs. Every door still had a hedge to detail it’s purpose. Eventually, the girls were able to pinpoint their classroom, using a hedge that appeared to be shaped like a book. They stepped inside, only to find a rather bodacious classroom set up. The desks were all aligned in a more crescent pattern than straight lines. There was no teacher’s desk to speak of, and the black board at the front was blank.

There appeared to be cubbies against the wall, beside a towering bookshelf. Most likely for backpacks and purses. Lillie looked around curiously, her worried expression returning again. Still no sign of anyone. “Hm? Maybe we're early…” she muttered. They checked the clock on the wall. It was only 7:20. They were approximately 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Still, weren’t teachers always supposed to be hours ahead of the children? Luna tapped her cheek with her index finger in confusion, “It _ is _Monday, right?” Lillie nodded, “Mm. That should be right.”

Gently, Lillie placed her Popplio onto one of the desks. The Pokémon themselves had been admiring the scenery too much to notice the emptiness like their Trainers had. Lillie began taking off her backpack, setting it on her chair as she pulled it open. “Well, I guess we should just settle down until they all get here.” Luna nodded, approaching Lillie slowly as she scanned the room a bit more. “Gee, this place sure is cute! I could probably _ live _here!” she squeaked. Lillie giggled, “Don’t you already live with Hau?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. His house _ is _ pretty cozy!”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“_T__otally_! The floor are so comfy and soft!”  
  
“They’re...made out of wood.”  
  
“Really? Huh. I didn’t notice!”

Lillie could feel herself sweating a bit again as she pulled a notebook out of her bag. She gently placed it on her desk beside her Popplio, before closing up her bag again and picking it up. She began for the cubbies as she continued their conversation. “Well, at least you’re getting used to it,” she said. Luna nodded, “Yup yup! Hala’s been really hospital!” The mispronunciation didn’t escape Lillie as she placed her backpack in one of the cubbies. “You mean..._hospitable_,” she corrected. Luna pondered this for a moment, “Mmm...nope, I’m pretty sure it’s hospital!”

Lillie rolled her eyes and smiled before heading back to her desk. Luna was about to approach her own, when the sound of footsteps outside the classroom door caused her to turn her head. “Hm?” Lillie noticed Luna’s sudden curiosity and turned her eyes towards the door as well. Then, as if on cue, the door burst wide open to reveal a cute girl. She had medium, curly, light turquoise hair and neatly cut straight bangs. It had a fetching star-shaped clip in it as well. Her pale skin and nearly flawless complexion were big indicators that she was all about keeping up appearances.

On her cheeks was a light touch of blush, just underneath her orange eyes. For clothes, she had on a cute button up yellow shirt with white frills in the center around her buttons. The sleeves were puffy and short, and wrapped around her neck beneath her collar was a red ribbon. Her short, pink skirt had a wavy light yellow pattern along the bottom, with white dots spotted on each flap. They could see some white, bumpy frills hanging off the ends as well. She didn’t wear socks, but she had on black sandals with a golden strap that wrapped all the way up to her ankles.

With bright stars shining in her eyes and a mile wide smile she bellowed, “GOOOOOOOD MORNING ALOLA~!”

Luna beamed excitedly, completely taken aback by the stranger’s stylish attire and overall look. “Woooaaahhhh! A cute trainer!” she complimented. “Oh!” Lillie cried out in surprise. “H-Hello! Are you a student in this class, too?” The girl flipped some of her hair back with the palm of her hand before placing it on her hip. “That I am~!” she confirmed, stepping closer to the girls. “My name's Starla! And who might _ you _two lovely ladies be?” Luna held up her hand in a wave as she smiled brightly, “I'm Luna Freya! I just moved here from Kalos!” In stark contrast, Lillie fiddled with her hands nervously.

“I'm um...Lillie. Lillie Aether,” she introduced, shyly. Starla blinked at Lillie blankly for a moment. She appeared to be taking extra long to process her answer. It made Lillie worried very quickly again. Especially when Starla slowly moved her head up and down to look over Lillie. Almost as if sizing her up. Then, out of the blue, the girl’s eyes grew wide as her jaw dropped in complete and utter disbelief. Luna was grinning a toothy grin the entire time, appearing to be amused by the reaction the girl was having.

“......EEEEHHHHHHH?!”

Luna giggled giddily and snorted a bit as she did so. Starla pointed at Lillie, her look turning sheepish as she blushed. “R-Really?! You look so different!” she gawked. Lillie couldn’t help but giggle at the observation. Her new look was certainly working in her favor to shake off the paparazzi it seemed. “I'm sure I do! I just began as a Pokémon Trainer and decided I'd update my look a little. You like?” She twirled around to allow Starla to get a full view of her outfit. She beamed, “You bet! It’s _ super _cute!” She frowned and waved her hand dismissively.

“No offense, but that floppy hat and frilly dress were sooo last season.”  
  
“Hehe~! I couldn’t agree more!”

Luna gasped at her in amazement again, “Wow! You sure do know your fashion, huh?” Starla nodded triumphantly. “Well, when you’re as _ fabulous _as I am, you must learn to keep up with the latest trends!” Luna looked Starla up and down again to admire her outfit when she noticed something shuffling behind her legs. She tilted her head curiously, turning it at an impressive angle as she tried to get a glimpse of the creature. It appeared to be a cub Pokémon with a purple head and white fur. But it was obviously very shy. Luna smiled at it.

“Hmmmm~? Who's _ this _little cutie pie~?”

“Huh?” Starla muttered, before turning to look behind her. “O-Oh!” she cried out as she stepped aside slowly to reveal the shy child. It was a tiny cub, the girls were certain it couldn’t have been much taller than a couple of feet. It had a very round and plump body, with round ears and a fuzzy short tail. Luna even noticed that it’s muzzle appeared to be blue. But the most obvious thing of note was a long and huge dribble of what appeared to be snot hanging from it’s nose. It’s big and beady eyes stared up at them both curiously and with great horror.

“This here is my Cubchoo, Bubby!” she introduced, pointing it out kindly. Lillie stared in amazement at the adorable creature. She had studied up for the past year on the sorts of Pokémon that lived all over Alola, even in the mountaintops of Hokulani and Lanakila. However, she was certain that this little bundle wasn’t native to either of those areas, or even Alola at all. “Wow...! I've never seen one of _ those _before!” she cried. Starla held up her index finger to draw their attention back to her. “He’s from the Unova Region!” she declared.

“Unova...Region?” Luna repeated, tilting her head in confusion.

Starla smiled and nodded, “You're not the only one who's moved in from another region! I came here from Unova a couple years ago. But I never went to school ‘cause I didn't really think I needed it. Boy was I wrong! There's a whooole lot to learn about in this region, _ including _battles!”

“Wow! I'm even _ more _excited now~!” Luna chirped

Lillie giggled, “And here I thought it wasn't possible…”

Bubby blinked at the girls curiously, bringing his paws up to his face in a shy gesture. He wiggled in place, seeming unsure of whether or not to approach them. Until of course, his Trainer gently nudged him with her ankle and gave him a nod of reassurance. He brought his hands down and grinned widely, beaming at them with a precious smile as he cried out gleefully. 

“Chooo~!”

The girls couldn’t help the “Awwww!” that escaped their mouths at the sight. He was practically like a human toddler. Suddenly, however, Bubby’s ears began to twitch. He quickly darted back behind his Trainer’s leg, shaking wildly as he stared at the door almost fearfully. Starla pouted at him, not seeming to notice where he was looking. “Bubbyyy! You can’t hide forever, you know!” she scolded. Then, a voice that Luna recognized came from the still-open doorway.

“Hey, I hope I'm not late to the party!”

Luna and Lillie turned up their heads to see who it was, as did Starla. And once Starla saw who it was, she grinned and cried out with joy, “Babe~!” Just as Luna had suspected, it was the same boy she had met just yesterday; Comet. Comet smirked flirtatiously, winking and posing as he pointed his finger out at the girls. “What's up, ladies~?” he greeted. Starla immediately pounced on him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. “Hey sweetie~!” she replied with a giggle. Luna gasped in amazement, “Oh. My. _ Gosh _ ! _THE _Comet is going to school with us?!”

Lillie turned her head again to look at Luna, “You know him?” She nodded, “Mmhm! I got his autograph yesterday!” She reached into her purse, pulling out the notepad and flipping to his autograph to show it off. Lillie looked it over, seeming to be impressed. Starla gave Comet a mocking smile, “Awww! Is my rock star getting _ that _ popular _already_?” Comet rolled his eyes at her, putting an arm around her waist to pull her closer. He glanced at the girls again, “Well, what a coincidence. This school year is definitely going to be interesting.”

He looked up, noticing the owlet that was perched in her hair. He pointed it out with his free hand as he extended his index finger towards it. “Er...is that...your Pokémon?” he asked, his eye twitching a bit as he sneered. Luna giggled, “You met him yesterday silly, remember? He was there before!” Comet scratched the back of his head as he smiled nervously, “I...guess I was a little distracted. Is that like...his favorite spot or something?” Luna nodded, “Yup yup! He loves snuggling up in my hair!” Starla pulled one of her arms down, cupping her chin in one of her hands.

“Hmmm, is that a Rowlet? I feel like I’ve seen it before.”

“Yup yup! The Kahuna let me have him as a starter Pokémon! But I named him Robin.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s such a cute nickname!”

Lillie’s eyes widened, realizing she hadn’t yet introduced her own Pokémon. “Oh! That’s right!” she cried out, picking up her Popplio from her desk before turning to look at them again. “This is _ my _ starter, Popplio. I didn’t give her a nickname but, yours are very lovely!” Starla pulled off of Comet as she cupped her cheeks in her hands. She grinned widely, stars sparkling in her eyes again as her face flushed with excitement. “Holy crap, it’s so friggin’ _ cute_!” Popplio clapped her fins together, barking aloud with enthusiasm as she greeted the newcomers.

“Ar ar ar~!”

“Eeeek~! It’s so cute I’m gonna _ die_~!”

Luna looked down at Comet’s feet, noticing another Pokémon on the floor. It appeared to be an insect of some sort, and it’s head was encapsulated in some sort of make-shift bubble dome. She squatted down to get a better look at it, smiling at it gently. “And who’s _ this _little fella?” she asked. Comet glanced down at the small Pokémon, raising a brow as he stuffed his hands in his pant pockets. “Oh, Nyx? This is my Dewpider. Say hello, buddy,” he said. The Dewpider scuttled forward, chirping at the girls in a cute greeting. 

Luna gently poked at it’s bubble dome, careful not to pop it as she pursed her lips in curiosity. Lillie however, tilted her head and rested one of her cheeks on her hand. “I've never seen a Dewpider that looks like _ that _ before…” she muttered, “Is that a _ shiny _Dewpider?” Comet smiled, “It sure is.” Starla snapped out of her trance, standing up straight as she finally took her eyes off of Lillie’s Popplio. “Oh! That’s right. You probably don’t know this, but Bubby is a shiny too,” she confessed. Luna caught wind of this conversation surprisingly, and pouted.

“Shiny…?” she turned her head up at them, before tilting it to the side to emphasize her curiosity again, “What’s that?” 

Lillie chimed in, “Oh, it's a very rare kind of Pokémon. Most Pokémon look the same, but sometimes, you'll find a Pokémon who's fur, feathers, or skin are a completely different color! We call them shinies.”

Luna gapped at this. It seemed today was full of surprising things for her to learn about. She stood up, grinning at Starla and Comet again, “Woooaaahhh! That's _ awesome _ ! You two must be real lucky!” Starla smirked coyly again as she gave Comet a knowing look. “Yeah, it's sort of our little thing~” she cooed. Oddly enough, Comet’s suave demeanor suddenly seemed to dissipate. He blushed, sweating as he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. The moment was interrupted however, when yet again another familiar voice emerged from the doorway.  
  
“I hope I'm not interrupting anything…”

Everyone looked up, and cried out in unison, “Professor Kukui!”

Sure enough, the good Professor was indeed standing in the doorway. Curiously, it seemed he still had on no shirt under his lab coat. He pushed his cap up with his thumb, smiling at the young kids warmly. “That's _ Mister _Kukui to you all from now on,” he corrected. “Good morning, students. I hope you're all ready for your first day.” Luna nodded, bobbing up and down excitedly, “Oo~! Oo~! I am! I'm ready to learn, sir!” Kukui chuckled at her enthusiasm before making his way towards the blackboard at the front of the classroom.

“Then please, students. Put your bags away and take your seats.”

Luna, Comet, and Starla all obeyed this order. Luna placing her purse in the cubby next to Lillie’s, Starla placing a tiny yet fancy looking satchel on a lower shelf, and Comet stuffing his backpack into one of the upper shelves. They all collectively sat at their desks, propping their Pokémon up onto their tables or in their laps. Kukui picked up a clipboard off the rack of the blackboard, looking over a single piece of paper that was clipped to it. “Now then. Onto rolecall,” he declared before looking around the room.

“Lillie Aether.”

Lillie raised her hand all the way up, “Present, sir!”

“Litly Baye.”

There was no response. The kids all glanced around at each other curiously before raising a brow at the Professor. Luna even tilted her head at an odd angle again. Kukui scratched his head in confusion.

“...Litly?”

“I'M HERE!!!”

Everyone turned their heads towards the doorway again. Not long after they had heard the somewhat distant yelling did a girl appear before them. She hunched over, grasping her knees as she wheezed with exhaustion. She had long and wavy dirty blonde hair. Wrapped around her head at the top was a green bandanna that seemed to serve no purpose. Her overall attire was rather hippie-like. With a baggy tan shirt that hung just below her shoulders had sleeves that didn’t reach past her elbows. Wrapped around the waist was a green tassel tied up tightly. 

Her bright, orange, and baggy pants almost appeared to be pajamas of some kind. This was further evidenced by the light green slippers she had on her feet. She also had a matching green tasseled purse wrapped around her that was slumped against the floor as she keeled over in agony. “S...Sorry...I-I'm late!” she gasped. Kukui sweat a bit, giving her a nervous smile of reassurance, “It's...quite alright, Ms Baye.” He raised a brow as he suddenly noticed something. “But...where's your Pokémon?” The girl gasped aloud and instantly rose to her feet.

She looked around frantically, her expression turning sheepish. “C-Crabrawler?” she called. Surely enough, not a minute after it seemed her calls were answered. A small crab Pokémon scuttled into the classroom, huffing and puffing and sweating almost as much as the girl was. She smiled nervously, giving an embarrassed look as she held up her hand to her face. “Oh...sorry, buddy. I was so focused on getting here on time I forgot to grab you!” she admitted. The Pokémon groaned, slumping onto the floor tiredly. 

Litly made it a point to pick it up before she took her seat at one of the empty desks. She gently places her Crabrawler down on the table, petting it gently to soothe it’s tired muscles. “C-Continue, sir. My apologies,” she sputtered. Kukui just laughed whole-heartedly and let her off the hook as he continued his role call. “As you wish.” He looked down at his clipboard again, continuing to call out names.

“Comet Berne.”

Comet raised up one of his hands in what also appeared to be a wave, “Right here, teach!”

“Luna Freya.”

Luna threw both her arms up into the air excitedly, “Heeeere~!”

“Aaaannnnd...Starla Shute.”

Starla waved her hands in a jazz-hand motion as she gleefully answered, “I’m here!”

Comet groaned aloud, noting that all the desks had been taken up. “Even at _ school _I'm surrounded by women...I must be cursed,” he muttered. Luna giggled, while Starla merely rolled her eyes at him. The chattering in the room that followed was swiftly silenced by Kukui knocking on the blackboard with his fist. “Alright kids, it's time for our first lesson!” he announced. Everyone went quiet and still, all but Luna who was bouncing up and down lightly in her seat with a wide grin stretched across her face. Since she was silent, the Professor didn’t question it.

He picked up a piece of chalk, writing something down before turning to face the children again as he announced the lesson of the day.

“Type match-ups!”

The reveal was met with an immediate groan of agitation and frustration from almost every single student, save for Luna and Litly. Starla pouted as she leaned her arms up over her desk, stretching them out across the table. “C'moooon! That's like the most _ basic _ of basics!” she whined. Luna blinked, her grin crumbling into a blank stare. “It is?” she asked. Lillie piped up, “Well...some of them are _ pretty _complex, but I've memorized most of them by now.” Litly raised up her hands, doing a slight waving motion as if to signal everyone to quiet down.

“Now now everyone, it's still an important lesson!”

“Precisely, Litly. So then, we'll start with the big three.”

Kukui drew leaf, water droplet, and fire symbols all in a triangular disposition to each other on the board with the chalk. “Grass, Fire, and Water. Can anyone tell me what's effective against each?” he continued. Lillie raised her hand immediately, and Kukui didn’t waste time giving her the spotlight. “Go ahead, Lillie.” She stood up, pushing her chair back with her legs as she places her hands over her skirt daintily. “Fire Types are most effective against Grass, Grass Types are most effective against Water, and Water Types are most effective against Fire,” she explained.

“Perfect!” Kukui praised.

“Ohhhh! I get it! I wanna try one!” Luna suddenly chirped.

Kukui gave Luna another match-up as Lillie sat back in her seat quietly. “Alright Luna, what's effective against _ Bug _Types?” he asked. “Hmmm…” she hummed as she wracked her brain for an answer. Then, looking up at her Rowlet still snuggled in her hair, she got an idea. “Oh! I know! Grass Types!” Kukui shook his head, “Afraid that's not quite right, Ms Freya.” Lillie gave a sheepish look as she sweat again. She supposed this lesson was important after all. “That's...actually the other way around, Luna,” she corrected. 

Luna made a shocked gasp at this revelation, “Eeeehhhh?! Really?”

“Really and truly.”

Starla raised her hand, still pouting indignantly. Despite the obvious fact that Luna was a little ways behind them in this field, she still wanted to speed things up. “Can we at least do some _ harder _ones, Mr Kukui?” she begged. “Now now, Starla. Be patient. Why don't one of you try telling me what's effective against Ice?” Before Starla could even open her mouth to speak, Litly stood up from her chair as she raised her hand in the air eagerly. “Rock Types are effective against Ice!” she declared. Kukui smiled at her, motioning with his hand for her to sit back down.

“That's a good start. What else?”

“Hmmm...Psychic?” Luna guessed.

“Try again.”

Luna groaned in defeat. This was simply much too hard for her. She next to nothing about Types, let alone Type _ match _-ups. Lillie piped up, “Ah! Fire is effective against Ice Types!” Kukui hummed as his smile faded, “Good answer, but let's go for something a little less obvious.” Comet had his arms crossed, cracking his brain for an answer. He wasn’t much of a battler with his Pokémon, so his knowledge on more complicated match-ups was limited. Internally, he was cross that Lillie had guessed the easiest one already. He hummed in thought, before suddenly remembering an answer his grandmother had once taught him.

“Oh yeah I remember! What about Steel Types?”

“Very good, Comet.”

“Still got it~” Comet boasted, scratching at his nose with his index finger as he smirked. Kukui erased the symbols on the board, drawing up a new one as he continued speaking. “Alright, now let's try something a _ little _ more challenging,” he suggested. Everyone was sat in suspended silence as he drew the next symbol, and were all dumbfounded before he even asked the obvious question. “What's effective...against _ Ghost _Type Pokémon?” The children were all stumped, even Lillie, who had been studious enough to study over the summer.

“Oh, my...that _ is _a tough one. Ummm...is it Dragon Types?” she guessed.

“Nope!”

Starla slammed her hands on the table, standing up from her seat as she shouted, “Ground Types!”

“Wrong.”

Comet raised a brow, his face wracked with the utter confusion he felt, “Flying?”

“Incorrect.”  
  
“Hmm...what about Normal Types?” Luna suggested.

“Close, but not quite.”

“Fairy Types?” Litly answered, being the last to the punch.

Kukui simply shook his head, drawing other symbols up on the board. Once he finished, their jaws dropped, once again not needing to hear him speak to be stunned. “The answer is Dark Types and Ghost Types,” he corrected. Lillie sneered in confusion, blinking and raising a brow at the board. “Huh? Ghosts are weak against _ themselves _ ?” she repeated. Luna looked to her friend sympathetically, shaking her head in awe, “I _ never _ would've guessed _ Dark _Types, either!” Kukui frowned, not quite expecting so many of them to struggle in this area.

Sure, a lot of match-ups were complex and hard to remember or even understand. But it was an essential basic to learn if these kids wanted to be good at battling. It was clear from their answers that the kids needed a demonstration to help them along. So, he’d do just that. “Hmmm...perhaps it would help if we tested it in battle,” he muttered aloud. The kids all caught his muttering and seemed surprised to be getting hands-on learning on just their first day. He smiled, “Grab your Pokémon, kids. We're going to head to the battlefield, outside.”

* * *

The children all gathered around the dirt arena. Comet, Starla, and Litly all took seats on the small bench on the sidelines as Lillie and Luna were shuffled onto the court by the Professor. Robin still sat cozily in Luna’s poofy hair as Popplio flopped across the dirt into place. Across from it and it’s Trainer stood of course Luna and Robin. As with all things, her excitement was stamped all over her face. “Cooool...my first Pokémon battle, _ ever_~!” she cheered, before looking up at her companion Pokémon. “C'mon buddy. Let's do our best, ok?” she called.

Robin cooed, flapping his wings to launch himself from his nesting spot and onto the dirt floor of the battlefield. He glared Popplio down, keeping his wings spread out once he landed. Popplio just beamed back, barking in it’s friendly sing-song voice. A glint of determination came to Lillie’s eye as she gave Luna a coy smirk. “Ok, Popplio...Let's give it our all!” she called. Kukui stood close to the sidelines, looking between the two girls. “Alright girls, throw your Pokéballs into the air once you’re ready,” he instructed. Lillie obeyed as she took out her Popplio’s ball, but Luna blinked blankly.

“But Robin is already out of his ball.”  
  
“Oh, we throw the balls up so we can activate the hologram. It helps us keep track of their stats while we battle.”

“Wow! Really?! That’s so cool! Alright, let’s do this!”

Luna pulled out Robin’s Pokéball, tossing it up into the air as Lillie did the same with hers. Both their balls seemed to freeze in mid-air, a holographic screen displaying from each of them for the girls to look at. Luna scanned the screen quickly to see what her Rowlet knew. Then, she made the first move as she shouted out her first order, pointing at the Popplio. “Robin, use Growl~!” Robin flew up, letting out a low growling sound in Popplio’s direction that hurt it’s ears. It barked in resistance, shaking it’s head to clear it’s mind. 

“Popplio, Water Gun!” Lillie called out.

Popplio nodded, blasting a stream of water at Robin and soaking it, whilst pushing it back with immense force. Robin cried out in pain and was temporarily disoriented as it spun backwards. Starla cried out in adoration as her eyes sparkled, “Wow! Such a beautiful move!” Robin managed to stabilize himself, shaking the water out of his feathers to keep it from weighing him down. “Coo!” it cooed. “Now Robin, use Tackle!” Robin flew forward again, this time slamming into Popplio head first and knocking it onto it’s back. It cried out in pain as it skid across the ground.

Comet and Litly cringed at the blow. “_That’s _ gotta hurt,” Comet hissed through his teeth. “So violent…!” Litly whispered to herself. Starla waved her hand, smiling condescendingly at them, “Oh, this? This is _ hardly _ a brutal battle. You should’ve seen the battles my old friend back home used to get into. Now _ that _was intense stuff!” Litly’s brows perked up, seeming shocked at such a revelation. “Truly? That sounds so scary…!” she gasped. Starla shook her head again, “Not at all! Sure, sometimes battles get out of hand, but usually, everyone’s having fun!”

“Well, that _ is _important…”

“I dunno. I’m not sure if Nyx can handle this kind of thing…”

“Oh, sweetie, don’t worry about it. I’m sure he’ll be just fine! Look at how excited he is~!”

Sure enough, the boy’s Dewpider was bouncing up and down with excitement as it watched the spectacle before it. He scoffed in a slight chuckle at the sight, “Heh, you’re right. You excited to get in the ring today, buddy?” Nyx nodded, happily chirping in response. The kids turned their attention back to the battle, noting that Popplio had finally stopped skidding and had come to a stop. It rolled over, propping itself back up on it’s fins. It looked up at Robin, who had retreated back into the air and growled under it’s breath before barking aloud in a battle cry. 

Luna appeared confused, blinking blankly as she examined the Popplio’s condition. “Hm? That barely did any damage...I thought Grass Types were really _ strong _ against Water Types?” she mumbled. Somehow, despite how distanced she was from Kukui, he was able to catch her murmurs as he raised up an index finger to gauge her attention. “Ah, there's the trick,” he called out. Luna snapped her head in his direction instantly as he continued, “Just because a certain Pokémon is a certain Type doesn't mean _ all _it's move are stronger against the weaker Type. Each move is a different type as well.” 

He turned his eyes toward her display screen, tempting her to look as well. Sure enough, just as the Professor said, the hologram detailed Robin’s moves under certain Type classifications she hadn’t noticed before. “Ohhhh...! I see! Tackle is a _ Normal _Type move!” she realized. “There you go. So, do you know what you need to do now, Luna?” Kukui asked. She nodded, “Mmhm!” She turned her head to look at her opponent again, grinning almost mischievously. Lillie had been courteous long enough, and continued the battle. “Popplio, use pound!” 

Suddenly, Popplio jumped up and whacked Robin out of the air with it’s tail, causing it to crash land on it’s back on the ground. However, it quickly picked itself back up. Luna pointed at the Popplio again, confident as she gave what she was sure would be her last command.

“Let's finish her off, Robin! Use leafage~!”

Robin took to the skies, calling forth a gust of wind that carried a tornado of glowing leaves, before chucking it towards the Popplio as it flapped it’s wings in synchronization with the leaves’ movements. Popplio was knocked backwards yet again, this time landing by Lillie’s feet. It was severely wounded by the attack, as it was now covered in scratches. Lillie cried out in surprise, “Ah! Popplio!” Popplio moaned in pain. Robin landed back on the ground, easing up it’s stance, confident it had finished it’s job. All was quiet, as everyone stared in bewilderment.

Then, Lillie heard a faint beeping coming off her hologram. She looked up, noticing that Popplio still had some life left in her. Popplio pulled itself up, growling in determination. Lillie couldn’t help but smile with relief as Luna began to sweat. “Uh oh…!” she gasped. It didn’t escape her just how exhausted Robin had become from the amount of force he put into his last move. Lillie smirked, “Popplio, let’s finish this with Pound!” Popplio jumped up, smacking Robin in the face with it’s tail once again. Robin cried out in shock and pain as he was knocked back into Luna’s arms. 

Luna looked down as she cradled him in her arms. He was completely dazed and drained of energy. She pouted slightly, a bit disappointed. “Aw, man…!” she whined. Kukui stretched his arm out in Lillie’s direction as he announced the winner. “Match set! The winner is Lillie!” Lillie held up her hand, catching Popplio’s Pokéball in her hand as it drifted back down towards her. Luna did the same, careful not to drop Robin as she did so. Then, she called it back into it’s ball to let it rest. Luna looked up as Lillie and Popplio approached her, smiling cheerily.

“That was a good battle, Lillie. You're pretty good at this!”

Lillie bowed her head thankfully, “Oh, thank you. You weren’t half bad yourself. You almost had us there!”

Starla tilted her head, pouting as she hugged Bubby close to her in her lap. “Waaaiiit, Professor, didn’t you say that Grass Types are _ supposed _ to be stronger than Water Types? How come Luna’s Rowlet lost the match?” she questioned. Comet raised a brow, “Yeah, that move should’ve totally _ obliterated _Popplio, shouldn’t it?” Kukui shook his head at his students. “Sometimes it’s not as simple as that, kids. Relying solely on Type advantages isn’t much of a strategy.” Litly tilted her head, “But why?” 

Kukui smiled nervously as he sweat a bit, “Well, there are lots of factors we still have yet to learn about so far as battle goes.” He turned, approaching Lillie and Luna to shuffle them back off the court. “I'll heal up your Rowlet for you, Luna. Don't worry. Why don't you two bench it for now while the others try their hand at it?” he suggested. The girls nodded, heading over to the bench as Litly and Starla took their places on the court. Comet’s Dewpider seemed a tad disappointed it had to wait again, but he was sure he’d change his tune once the battle started.

“This ought to be interesting. I've never battled a _ Fighting _Type Pokémon before!” Starla admitted.

“And I've never battled Ice Types. This should be a learning experience for the both of us,” Litly replied.

Starla took out her Cubchoo’s Pokéball, looking down at him as he shifted into place. “You ready, Bubby?” she asked. Bubby turned his head to look back at her, smiling eagerly. “Chooo~!” it cooed. Starla looked up, noticing that Litly still hadn’t taken out her Pokéball. “Er, Litly, you gonna take out your ball?” Litly tilted her head at Starla, looking at her as though she was speaking some sort of foreign tongue. Kukui frowned at her, “What’s the matter, Litly?” Litly turned her head to look at the Professor, giving a worried look.

“Well, um...I’m afraid Crabrawler doesn’t _ have _a Pokéball.”

“What?!” Kukui cried out in surprise. The other kids were left just as dumbfounded as he was. After all, who the heck enrolled in a Pokémon School with a Pokémon that had no Pokéball? Lillie gave a sheepish look again as she sweat a bit, “That’s...rather odd.” Luna held up her hands, shaking her head as she tried to wrap her head around the confession. “Wait wait wait, does that mean that _ technically _ that Crabrawler is a _ wild _ Pokémon?” she asked. Comet scratched his head, “Well, yeah, I guess it does. _ Weird_. Why not bring her _ own _Pokémon?”

Kukui raised a brow at Litly, “But, your mother said you’ve had that Crabrawler for three years! You mean you never caught it?” Litly nodded, “That’s right, I have had it for three years. However,” she suddenly held up an index finger as she frowned, “I don’t believe in the imprisonment of Pokémon. So I never caught it. I just took care of it and it stuck with me.” The kids on the bench nearly fell from their seats. This girl was a whole 'nother level of strange that not even _ Luna _could compete with.

“She..._does _know we’re here to learn how to battle, right?” Comet groaned.

“I suppose...everyone has a different way of learning.”

Litly noticed everyone’s concerned looks and quickly put two and two together. “O-Oh! But I can still battle just fine without one! Crabrawler trains _ very _ hard in his spare time!” she clarified. Starla put a hand on her hip, leaning to one side as she pouted. “Mmm, are you _ sure_? It feels like I have a _ bit _ of an unfair advantage here.” Litly waved her hand back and forth as she shook her head, “Oh, no no no. I’ve memorized _ all _his moves. Besides, I’ll know when the battle’s over.” Starla hesitantly eased her stance and gripped her Pokéball, preparing to throw.

“Alright...if you say so. Then let’s do this!”

Starla tossed her ball into the air, activating her screen. She pointed at the Crabrawler, wasting no time as she initiated the battle. “Bubby, use Play Nice!” she commanded. “Chooo~!” He squeaked, skipping up and radiating pure innocence as it approached Crabrawler, whom backed away a little as it sweat nervously. “Choo~! Choo choo~!” Bubby greeted, before wrapping his arms around Crabrawler in a warm and fuzzy hug. “Choooo~!” he squeaked again. “Cra…?” Crabrawler grunted, utterly confused by the child’s odd approach. 

“Hm...? What's it doing?” Litly wondered aloud. Bubby let loose on it’s grip eventually, stepping back as it beamed at Crabrawler. Then, it took one it’s large, fist-like claws in it’s paws and began shaking it. “Choo?” it squeaked again. Crabrawler sweat a little more, as it began to feel uncomfortable now. “Cra…” he muttered. Starla giggled, “Play Nice is a bit of a doozy. You see, Bubby decided to make _friends_ rather than _ enemies_. And it looks like your Crabrawler took the bait~!” Litly didn’t need a further explanation to understand what _ that _meant.

“Oh dear! Crabrawler, snap out of it!” she called.

Crabrawler’s eyes widened and he shook his head, pulling his claw out of Bubby’s grip and taking a defensive stance as he raised his fists. “Crab!” Bubby tilted his head, confused by the sudden reaction, “Choo?” Litly jumped on the opportunity to get her Pokémon moving. “Crabrawler, use Bubble!” she cried. Crabrawler shot a stream of bubbles out of it’s mouth, knocking Bubby back as he cried out in pain. 

“Choooooo!”

“Good try, but not quite good enough,” Starla boasted coyly, “Bubby, Icy Wind!”

Bubby planted his feet firmly into the ground to steady himself, before sucking in a huge gasp of air. Then, reeling his head back first, blew a gust of freezing wind out his mouth at Crabrawler. Crabrawler dug it’s legs into the ground to keep itself firmly in place. However, this backfired, as the wind was cold enough to form bits of ice on some of his body. He shivered a bit, but suppressed his shaking to appear more intimidating. “Ah! Oh no, now his _ Speed _will be affected, too!” Starla became cocky quick as she tilted her nose up in the air at Litly.

“Things aren't looking too good for you, Litly. Maybe you should just surrender now~” she giggled.

_ I wonder if she noticed how little damage that did...looks like Bubby's ice moves won't make much of a dent. But if _ ** _that's _ ** _ the case… _

Starla turned her eyes up from Litly’s Crabrawler to scan Litly herself, who seemed to be panicking to think of a strategy.

_ Darn...this doesn't look good. Her stat advantages are working too well…! _Litly thought.

Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she cried out accordingly. “Ah...! I know...! Crabrawler, use Leer!” she commanded. Crabrawler followed this order suit, giving Cubchoo a harsh gaze that rendered it a shivering mess as it began to cry. “Ch-Chooooo...!” Starla raised a brow at Litly’s admittedly unpredictable move. Though predictable didn’t always equal smart in her eyes. “Lowering Bub's Defense, huh? Afraid that won't do you much good. Bubby, use Powder Snow!” Bubby shook his head, flinging the tears from his eyes before glaring at his opponent.

With another battle cry, he unleashed another bout of freezing and powdery wind. However, much to everyone’s surprise, even Litly’s, Crabrawler managed to dodge it as it veered to the side. “Braw!” it cried. “H-Huh? How?!” Starla cried in disbelief. Litly just stared on at her companion Pokémon, who huffed with exhaustion. _ Crabrawler...are you frustrated again? _she thought. She didn’t let the sudden shock distract her for too long however, as she got right back to giving orders. 

“Crabrawler, use Rock Smash!” 

“Cra!”

“CHOO!”

In one sudden swoop of a movement, Crabrawler had dashed forward and socked Bubby in the jaw, knocking him backwards into the dirt. However, despite the amount of damage it appeared to take from this blow, it quickly managed to pull itself back up. “Ch...Chooo…” it muttered, opening one of it’s tightly shut eyes to glare at it’s opponent again. “Ah! No way!” Starla cried, still concerned about Bubby’s condition. Litly tilted her head in awe, “Woah...that did a lot of damage.” She smiled and nodded, “I see...so Fighting Types must be stronger against Ice Types, too!”

Starla began to sweat a little as she began to panic. _ Shoot! If that’s true then I’m in _ ** _big _ ** _ trouble! _ she thought. She turned her head to check on her Pokémon again. “Bubby, are you ok?” Bubby nodded back at her, “Choo!” Starla knew she didn’t have many options left at this rate. However, there was still one advantage she _ did _have. “Ok then, use Icy Wind!” she commanded. Once again, Crabrawler resisted being knocked flat on it’s back by the windy attack. However, this once again caused ice to form on it’s body, restricting it’s muscles even more.

“C-Craaa…”

“Crabrawler, Rock Smash! Again!”

Despite Crabrawler’s best efforts to struggle against the ice that now festered on many of his joints, he was unable to land a punch before Bubby bounced out of the way. “Choo!” it cried, landing safely on it’s feet a few inches away. “Ah...! He dodged it!” Litly cried. Despite the stroke of luck Starla had come by, she didn’t want to take any chances just yet. “Good, now use Growl!” Bubby gave a harsh glare, growling as low as it could to intimidate Crabrawler. And it seemed to work, as it’s opponent began to sweat nervously again.

“Choooooo...!”

“C-Cra…”

“Oh dear...this doesn’t look good at all…!” Litly whined.

“Wowie!” Luna cried, “This is _ intense_!” Comet smirked and leaned back against the bench, “That’s Star for ya. She’s been studying the best strategy all summer, so it’s no surprise she took the ruthless approach.” Luna tilted her head curiously, “What’s _ that _ mean?” Comet sweat nervously as he forced a smile, “W-Well...she’s a pretty harsh gal sometimes. She _ looks _ all cutesy and sweet on the outside but when her blood gets boiling...oh, man. You do _ not _wanna be in the same solar system.” Lillie covered her eyes nervously, “Oh dear...! I can't look!”

“You got this, babe!” Comet cheered.

Litly tried her best not to appear distressed, but no one was fooled in the least bit. Least of all her Pokémon companion. “C'mon Crabrawler, once more, with feeling! Rock Smash!” Crabrawler once again struggled against the ice. Some of it began to crack, and Litly gasped in anticipation. However, Starla didn’t dare give them the chance. “I don’t _ think _so! Bubby, give ‘im one more round of Icy Wind!” Yet again, Crabrawler was helpless to the freezing attack that was blown his way. The damage of the blow was too much for him to bare, and despite trying his best to power through it, it was of no use.

Crabrawler was incapacitated.

“Choo~!”

“Yes~! We _ did _it~!”

Starla began jumping up and down, dancing with her Cubchoo gleefully as she basked in her victory. Litly, however, seemed more worried than disappointed, as she went to collect her Pokémon companion quickly. “Oh dear...well, you tried, and that’s what counts,” she cooed. Kukui approached both of them, congratulating each of them on their performances. “That was a good battle you two. You both did very well.” He turned his head to look at Starla, who had picked up her Cubchoo and was cradling it again. 

“Especially you, Starla. Nice strategy!”

“Thank you, Profe- I-I mean...Mr Kukui!”

“Heeeyyy, waaaiiit a minute! That’s _ two _ matches now where the _ stronger _ Type lost to the _ weaker _ Type!” Luna pointed out, pouting promptly after the initial statement, “Your lesson is turning out kinda backwards, teach!” Kukui chuckled and was about to remind her of what he had already said when Lillie chimed in for him. “Remember Luna, Type advantages aren’t _ always _the deciding factor in a battle. It all comes down to the Trainers and the amount of work they put in to keep their Pokémon coordinated,” she reiterated. 

“Ohhh! ...Ok!”

Kukui turned to look at Litly, scratching at the back of his head as he overlooked her Crabrawler’s condition. “Well...I suppose you could wait on the bench with the others, but I worry about leaving your Crabrawler like this since he doesn’t have a ball,” he admitted. Lillie raised her hand to gain his attention, “Um, excuse me, Mr Kukui? I could take her to the Nurse’s Office if you’d like. I want to heal my Popplio anyways.” Kukui sneered at the suggestion, “Well...you _ could _I suppose. But you’ll both have to do extra homework for today’s lesson.”

“That will be fine, Mr Kukui. I’ve no qualms doing some extra work.”  
  
“Neither do I! I like doing written work better anyways…” Lillie muttered.

“Alright, alright. You girls go on then. Just head back to the classroom when you’re done, we should be wrapped up by then,” he instructed. The girls nodded, and carried their Pokémon back inside the school. Starla sat down beside Luna, prompting Comet to stand up from his seat while he stuffed one of his hands into his pants pockets. “So, guess I’m up next. But I’m fresh out of prepared opponents, teach. Looks like I’ll have to skip out on the lesson~” he whined in a dramatic feint that only seemed to fool Luna.

Then, Kukui pulled out his own Pokéball from a pocket on his lab coat. “Nice try, Mr Berne. But you won’t evade your work _ that _ easily,” he jeered. Comet groaned, pouting as he begrudgingly stepped onto the court with his Dewpider. In contrast to it’s Trainer, it appeared to be pumped at the chance to battle. Luna whispered to Starla, holding up one of her hands to her cheek. “So, how good is he?” she asked. Starla snickered, “Oh, pfft, _ him_? He’s never battled before in his _ life_!” Luna gasped, “Wow! Really?! Just like _ me_?! But he had a _ really _cool Pokémon in his band…”

“Oh, you mean his Oranguru. He’s more of a family pet, but his parents let him play with it and use it in his band. He just caught that Dewpider there over the summer while he was fishing.”

“Really? So he doesn’t know _ anything _about battling?”

Starla pouted, “Well, I _ tried _ to get him to come study with me, but he _ insisted _he focus on his music career. I just hope he learned a thing or two from watching people battle in the diner.”

Luna nodded, “Mmhm!”

As Comet pulled out his Dewpider’s Pokéball and tossed it up and down, constantly throwing it and catching it again as he awaited Kukui’s instruction, Luna noticed it looked different to normal Pokéballs. It was almost entirely blue, with wavy patterns all around it. “What kind of Pokéball is _ that_?” she unknowingly muttered aloud. “Oh. That? That’s a Dive Ball. It’s best used on Water Type Pokémon, so Trainers usually use them when fishing,” Starla explained, taking her Cubchoo’s Pokéball back out to show her, “Bubby’s ball is a Heal Ball.”

“Ohhh, so it’s like a special ball that heals your Pokémon when you call it back?”

“Mmm, no. Just when you catch it. Normally when you catch a wild Pokémon, you gotta damage it first so it’s more susceptible to being caught. Heal Balls only heal the Pokémon once, when you first catch it.”

“That’s too bad. I’ll bet it’d be _ really _handy to have a Pokéball that healed your Pokémon after every battle!”

“Yeah, I suppose it would.”

Kukui took out his own Pokéball not long after, “You ready, Comet?” Comet nodded, widening his stance as a determined glint came to his eyes. Luna squeaked in excitement as Starla shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. They both tossed their Pokéballs into the air, Kukui’s releasing a small pup-like Pokémon before it snapped shut and remained stagnant in the air as it pulled up a holographic screen. Luna gushed as soon as she saw the puppy, hearts shining in her eyes as she squirmed in her seat. Starla did the same, as they both couldn’t help but fall in love.

“Awww!”

Comet’s brows rose up, “A Rockruff, huh? Those are...Rock Types, I think.” He smirked, suddenly filled with confidence, “Well, this should be easy peasy! Prepare to get wrecked, old man!” He pointed his finger at the small pup Pokémon as he gave his Dewpider it’s very first order. “Nyx, give ‘im a dose of Bubble!” Through it’s bubble dome and out of it’s mouth, Nyx shot several explosive bubbles in Rockruff’s direction. However, rather than getting an easy hit as they both expected, Rockruff managed to dodge every last one before they went off.

Comet cried out in surprise, unable to process what happened before Rockruff suddenly slammed it’s body into Nyx. Nyx managed to keep himself standing, digging his legs into the dirt below it. However, this did nothing to lessen the damage of the sudden blow. “Nyx! Are you alright, buddy?” Comet called. He nodded, not taking his eyes off his opponent now. “Don’t think you’ll get one over on me _ that _easy, Comet,” Kukui chided. Luna leaned forward in her seat, entirely intrigued by the spectacle before her, “Ooo~ He’s good…”

“So, he’s got fast feet...well then, I guess we’ll just have to slow you down. Nyx, Spider Web!”

Nyx lifted up his thorax, spraying a thick silky web from spinneret and rendering Rockruff practically immobile as it became trapped in a sticky web. It growled and tried to bite it off, but with no luck. “We might not be able to move, but we can still defend! Rockruff, hit it with Rock Throw!” The rocks in the pup’s fur began to glow, before shooting out towards Nyx. “Dodge it!” Comet called. Nyx was able to avoid most of the rocks, making sure none of them hit his bubble. “Good, now use Bubble!” He unleashed yet another onslaught of bubbles onto the Rockruff.

However, this time, the poor Pokémon was unable to dodge a single blow. It became massively injured, struggling to stand up as it strained against the web. “Wow! You’re doing good, honey!” Starla cheered, stars in her eyes as her face flushed. Luna grinned at her adorable reaction. “Gee, he sure has a natural talent for this!” Starla began fanning herself with one of her hands, swooning dramatically, “That’s my rock star for you~” The battle continued on, as Rockruff noticed something once it was able to pry open it’s eyes through all the pain.

It appeared Nyx had overlooked his aim, and the explosive bubbles had torn up some of the web. Rockruff was able to pull it’s front left foreleg free, and wagged it’s tail ever-so-slightly to indicate this to it’s Trainer. Kukui took notice, and quietly took advantage of it. “Is that _ all _ you’ve got, Comet? I’m disappointed.” Comet pouted, a tad agitated by his teacher’s cocky attitude. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants, muttering under his breath passive aggressively. “Oh yeah, I’ll show _ you _disappointed, old man…” he grumbled.

“Nyx, finish it off with another dose of Bubble!”

“Rockruff, use Rock Throw, again!”

“That’s not gonna work, old man! It’ll hardly leave a scratch on my Dewpider!”

“Hmm, I guess it won’t.”

Before Comet could even _ begin _to question that retort, the sudden collision of Rock Throw and Bubble had caused an explosion massive enough to kick up dust from the dirt floor. The girls’ hair was blown up by the resulting gust of wind from the blast as well. Luna gawked in awe as Starla began fussing over the dust and wind mucking up her appearance. Comet waited patiently for the dust to settle, holding up an arm to keep the dust out of his nose and mouth. Eventually, it faded away, allowing him and his Pokémon to see clearly.

Their jaws dropped at the sight that awaited them. Rockruff was still standing, even more injured than before, granted, but also completely free of the bindings of Nyx’s Spider Web. It huffed, growling angrily under it’s breath as it took an aggressive stance. Comet’s eyes widened and he began to sweat with panic, “Aw, crap!” Kukui smirked, “Rockruff, hit him with one more Tackle!” Comet growled. He wouldn’t give up yet, the battle still wasn’t over. “Once more, with feeling, Nyx! Give him another shot of Bubble!” Comet cried out.

Rockruff began charging forward, preparing to dodge. However, as it ran, it suddenly stepped on a stray piece of broken rock from the attacks it had made earlier. It yelped in pain, beginning to trip as Nyx belted out one last round of bubbles at Rockruff. The pup made a whimpering noise just before they hit, going off directly in it’s face and knocking it into the ground before gravity could do the job. Once the explosions ceased, both Trainers looked at Rockruff one more time, splayed out across the ground and covered in scratches.

It had fainted, the battle was over.

“_Yes_! We got ‘im!” Comet cried out. Starla jumped up from the bench and smothered her boyfriend in hugs and cuddles. “Ohhh, I’m so proud of you, sweetie!” Luna jumped to her feet as well, being quick to catch up to the two as Kukui called back his Pokémon. “Wow, Comet! You’re almost as good at battling as you are at music!” she complimented. Comet smirked, making a clicking sound at her as he winked, “It’s all part of the package~” Starla rolled her eyes, “Oh, _ please_.” They all looked up, focusing their attention as Kukui approached. 

“Well done, Comet. You won. Nice work with the Spider Web, but your strategy could use a _ little _work.”

“That was a lot of fun! Can we do more, please?” Luna begged. But Kukui chuckled and waved his hand at her dismissively. “Sorry kids, but I'm afraid we really should get back to class. You all did _ very _ well,” he praised. Despite not getting the answer she hoped for, somehow, Luna found a silver lining. “Yay! More lessons!” she cheered. Comet couldn’t help the sweat that beat down the side of his face at this. “What kind of nerd is _ that _excited about a lecture?” Luna pointed towards herself with both her thumbs. 

Grinning a toothy, wide grin, she proclaimed, “_This _ kind of nerd!”

Kukui quickly shuffled the children inside as Starla giggled at Luna’s poor attempt at a comeback. Vines grew up the walls of that bordered the school, leading to a patch of forestation beyond it. Within one of the trees, although no one noticed, a pair of brightly, multi-colored eyes glowed in the darkness of the greenery. Watching the children all intently as it faded back into the leaves of the tree it was huddled up in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And our new character introductions for today aaarrreee:
> 
> Starla Shute  
https://www.deviantart.com/artgurusauce/art/Pokemon-Eclipse-Saga-Starla-Shute-815704207
> 
> and Litly Baye!  
https://www.deviantart.com/artgurusauce/art/Pokemon-Eclipse-Saga-Litly-Baye-815704937
> 
> Featuring also an update to Comet's profile, now debuting Nyx the Dewpider!  
https://www.deviantart.com/artgurusauce/art/Pokemon-Eclipse-Saga-Comet-Berne-814367124
> 
> UPDATE:  
I've released a statement on my Tumblr to explain my hiatus and elongated absences on AO3 that you can check out with the link below  
https://artgurusauce.tumblr.com/post/188152920218/sooo-about-my-hiatus
> 
> Please be warned, it's not just an "Oh work took up time" explanation there's a lot of heavy stuff in there. I'm not looking for pity points, I just know that I owe you guys an explanation. I am going to try my best to get out the next chapter of Take Me Back To Forever as soon as I can, promise. Until then, enjoy today's episode, my little noodles~♥♥♥ >w<


End file.
